Sample records for coordinate dna repair

Topics covered in this book included: Eukaryote model systems for DNArepair study; Sensitive detection of DNA lesions and their repair; and Defined DNA sequence probes for analysis of mutagenesis and repair.

The base excision repair (BER) pathway repairs a wide variety of damaged nucleobases in DNA. This pathway is initiated by a DNArepair glycosylase, which locates the site of damage and catalyzes the excision of the damaged nucleobase. The resulting abasic site is further processed by apurinic/apyrimidinic site endonuclease 1 (APE1) to create a single strand nick with the 3'-hydroxyl that serves as a primer for DNArepair synthesis. Since an abasic site is highly mutagenic it is critical that the steps of the BER pathway be coordinated. Most human glycosylases bind tightly to their abasic product. APE1 displaces the bound glycosylase, thereby stimulating multiple turnover base excision. It has been proposed that direct protein-protein interactions are involved in the stimulation by APE1, but no common interaction motifs have been identified among the glycosylases that are stimulated by APE1. We characterized the APE1 stimulation of alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) using a variety of symmetric and asymmetric lesion-containing oligonucleotides. Efficient stimulation on a wide variety of substrates favors a model whereby both AAG and APE1 can simultaneously bind to DNA, but may not interact directly. Rather, nonspecific DNA binding by both AAG and APE1 enables APE1 to replace AAG at the abasic site. AAG is not displaced into solution, but remains bound to an adjacent undamaged site. We propose that nonspecific DNA binding interactions allow transient exposure of the abasic site so that it can be captured by APE1. PMID:20701268

Homeologous recombination between divergent DNA sequences is inhibited by DNA mismatch repair. In Escherichia coli, MutS and MutL respond to DNA mismatches within recombination intermediates and prevent strand exchange via an unknown mechanism. Here, using purified proteins and DNA substrates, we find that in addition to mismatches within the heteroduplex region, secondary structures within the displaced single-stranded DNA formed during branch migration within the recombination intermediate are involved in the inhibition. We present a model that explains how higher-order complex formation of MutS, MutL, and DNA blocks branch migration by preventing rotation of the DNA strands within the recombination intermediate. Furthermore, we find that the helicase UvrD is recruited to directionally resolve these trapped intermediates toward DNA substrates. Thus, our results explain on a mechanistic level how the coordinated action between MutS, MutL, and UvrD prevents homeologous recombination and maintains genome stability. PMID:23932715

Oxidative DNA damage accumulates with age and is repaired primarily via the base excision repair (BER) pathway. This process is initiated by DNA glycosylases, which remove damaged bases in a substrate-specific manner. The DNA glycosylases human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase (OGG1) and NEIL1, a mammalian homolog of Escherichia coli endonuclease VIII, have overlapping yet distinct substrate specificity. Recently, we reported that OGG1 binds to the Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), a DNA damage sensor protein that poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates nuclear proteins in response to DNA damage and other cellular signals. Here, we show that NEIL1 and PARP-1 bind both in vitro and in vivo. PARP-1 binds to the C-terminal-100 amino acids of NEIL1 and NEIL1 binds to the BRCT domain of PARP-1. NEIL1 stimulates the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation activity of PARP-1. Furthermore, NEIL-deficient fibroblasts have impaired poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of cellular proteins after DNA damage, which can be rescued by NEIL1 expression. Additionally, PARP-1 inhibits NEIL1 incision activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Consistent with the idea of impaired DNArepair during aging, we observed differential binding of PARP-1 to recombinant NEIL1 in older mice compared to younger mice. These data further support the idea that dynamic interplay between different base excision repair proteins is important for efficient BER. PMID:23104860

Regulatory ubiquitylation is emerging as an important mechanism to protect genome integrity in cells exposed to DNA damage. However, the spectrum of known ubiquitin regulators of the DNA damage response (DDR) is limited and their functional interplay is poorly understood. Here, we identify HERC2 as a factor that regulates ubiquitin-dependent retention of repair proteins on damaged chromosomes. In response to ionising radiation (IR), HERC2 forms a complex with RNF8, a ubiquitin ligase involved in the DDR. The HERC2-RNF8 interaction requires IR-inducible phosphorylation of HERC2 at Thr 4827, which in turn binds to the forkhead-associated (FHA) domain of RNF8. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that HERC2 facilitates assembly of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13 with RNF8, thereby promoting DNA damage-induced formation of Lys 63-linked ubiquitin chains. We also show that HERC2 interacts with, and maintains the levels of, RNF168, another ubiquitin ligase operating downstream of RNF8 (Refs 7, 8). Consequently, knockdown of HERC2 abrogates ubiquitin-dependent retention of repair factors such as 53BP1, RAP80 and BRCA1. Together with the increased radiosensitivity of HERC2-depleted cells, these results uncover a regulatory layer in the orchestration of protein interactions on damaged chromosomes and they underscore the role of ubiquitin-mediated signalling in genome maintenance. PMID:20023648

DNA mismatch repair functions to correct replication errors in newly synthesized DNA and to prevent recombination between related, but not identical (homeologous), DNA sequences. The mechanism of mismatch repair is best understood in Escherichia coli and is the main focus of this review. The early genetic studies of mismatch repair are described as a basis for the subsequent biochemical characterization of the system. The effects of mismatch repair on homologous and homeologous recombination are described. The relationship of mismatch repair to cell toxicity induced by various drugs is included. The VSP (Very Short Patch) repair system is described in detail. PMID:26442827

Cellular DNA is subjected to continual attack, both by reactive species inside cells and by environmental agents. Toxic and mutagenic consequences are minimized by distinct pathways of repair, and 130 known human DNArepair genes are described here. Notable features presently include four enzymes that can remove uracil from DNA, seven recombination genes related to RAD51, and many recently discovered DNA polymerases that bypass damage, but only one system to remove the main DNA lesions induced by ultraviolet light. More human DNArepair genes will be found by comparison with model organisms and as common folds in three-dimensional protein structures are determined. Modulation of DNArepair should lead to clinical applications including improvement of radiotherapy and treatment with anticancer drugs and an advanced understanding of the cellular aging process. PMID:11181991

Oxidative damage represents the most significant insult to organisms because of continuous production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo. Oxidative damage in DNA, a critical target of ROS, is repaired primarily via the base excision repair (BER) pathway which appears to be the simplest among the three excision repair pathways. However, it is now evident that although BER can be carried with four or five enzymes in vitro, a large number of proteins, including some required for nucleotide excision repair (NER), are needed for in vivo repair of oxidative damage. Furthermore, BER in transcribed vs. nontranscribed DNA regions requires distinct sets of proteins, as in the case of NER. We propose an additional complexity in repair of replicating vs. nonreplicating DNA. Unlike DNA bulky adducts, the oxidized base lesions could be incorporated in the nascent DNA strand, repair of which may share components of the mismatch repair process. Distinct enzyme specificities are thus warranted for repair of lesions in the parental vs. nascent DNA strand. Repair synthesis may be carried out by DNA polymerase β or replicative polymerases δ and ε. Thus, multiple subpathways are needed for repairing oxidative DNA damage, and the pathway decision may require coordination of the successive steps in repair. Such coordination includes transfer of the product of a DNA glycosylase to AP-endonuclease, the next enzyme in the pathway. Interactions among proteins in the pathway may also reflect such coordination, characterization of which should help elucidate these subpathways and their in vivo regulation. PMID:11746753

Helicases must unwind DNA at the right place and time to maintain genomic integrity or gene expression. Biologically critical XPB and XPD helicases are key members of the human TFIIH complex; they anchor CAK kinase (cyclinH, MAT1, CDK7) to TFIIH and open DNA for transcription and for repair of duplex distorting damage by nucleotide excision repair (NER). NER is initiated by arrested RNA polymerase or damage recognition by XPC-RAD23B with or without DDB1/DDB2. XP helicases, named for their role in the extreme sun-mediated skin cancer predisposition xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), are then recruited to asymmetrically unwind dsDNA flanking the damage. XPB and XPD genetic defects can also cause premature aging with profound neurological defects without increased cancers: Cockayne syndrome (CS) and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). XP helicase patient phenotypes cannot be predicted from the mutation position along the linear gene sequence and adjacent mutations can cause different diseases. Here we consider the structural biology of DNA damage recognition by XPC-RAD23B, DDB1/DDB2, RNAPII, and ATL, and of helix unwinding by the XPB and XPD helicases plus the bacterial repair helicases UvrB and UvrD in complex with DNA. We then propose unified models for TFIIH assembly and roles in NER. Collective crystal structures with NMR and electron microscopy results reveal functional motifs, domains, and architectural elements that contribute to biological activities: damaged DNA binding, translocation, unwinding, and ATP driven changes plus TFIIH assembly and signaling. Coupled with mapping of patient mutations, these combined structural analyses provide a framework for integrating and unifying the rich biochemical and cellular information that has accumulated over forty years of study. This integration resolves puzzles regarding XP helicase functions and suggests that XP helicase positions and activities within TFIIH detect and verify damage, select the damaged strand for incision, and

Potentially deleterious alterations to DNA occur nonrandomly within the mammalian genome. These alterations include the adducts produced by many chemical carcinogens, but not the UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, which may be an exception. Recent studies in our laboratory have shown that the excision repair of pyrimidine dimers and certain other lesions is nonrandom in the mammalian genome, exhibiting a distinct preference for actively transcribed DNA sequences. An important consequence of this fact is that mutagenesis and carcinogenesis may be determined in part by the activities of the relevant genes. Repair may also be processive, and a model is proposed in which excision repair is coupled to transcription at the nuclear matrix. Similar but freely diffusing repair complexes may account for the lower overall repair efficiencies in the silent domains of the genome. Risk assessment in relation to chemical carcinogenesis requires assays that determine effective levels of DNA damage for producing malignancy. The existence of nonrandom repair in the genome casts into doubt the reliability of overall indicators of DNA binding and lesion repair for such determinations. Furthermore, some apparent differences between the intragenomic repair heterogeneity in rodent cells and that in human cells mandate a reevaluation of rodent test systems for human risk assessment. Tissue-specific and cell-specific differences in the coordinate regulation of gene expression and DNArepair may account for corresponding differences in the carcinogenic response. Images FIGURE 1. FIGURE 1. PMID:3447906

Most of our understanding of DNArepair mechanisms in human cells has come from the study of these processes in cultured fibroblasts. The unique properties of keratinocytes and their pattern of terminal differentiation led us to a comparative examination of their DNArepair properties. The relative repair capabilities of the basal cells and the differentiated epidermal keratinocytes as well as possible correlations of DNArepair capacity with respect to age of the donor have been examined. In addition, since portions of human skin are chronically exposed to sunlight, the repair response to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (254 nm) when the cells are conditioned by chronic low-level UV irradiation has been assessed. The comparative studies of DNArepair in keratinocytes from infant and aged donors have revealed no significant age-related differences for repair of UV-induced damage to DNA. Sublethal UV conditioning of cells from infant skin had no appreciable effect on either the repair or normal replication response to higher, challenge doses of UVL. However, such conditioning resulted in attenuated repair in keratinocytes from adult skin after UV doses above 25 J/m2. In addition, a surprising enhancement in replication was seen in conditioned cells from adult following challenge UV doses.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is an evolutionarily conserved, multistep process that can detect a wide variety of DNA lesions. Transcription coupled repair (TCR) is a subpathway of NER that repairs the transcribed DNA strand faster than the rest of the genome. RNA polymerase (RNAP) stalled at DNA lesions mediates the recruitment of NER enzymes to the damage site. In this review we focus on a newly identified bacterial TCR pathway in which the NER enzyme UvrD, in conjunction with NusA, plays a major role in initiating the repair process. We discuss the tradeoff between the new and conventional models of TCR, how and when each pathway operates to repairDNA damage, and the necessity of pervasive transcription in maintaining genome integrity. PMID:25596348

An isolated and purified DNA molecule encoding a DNArepair protein, p95, is provided, as is isolated and purified p95. Also provided are methods of detecting p95 and DNA encoding p95. The invention further provides p95 knock-out mice.

Background DNArepair is essential for the maintenance of genome stability in all living beings. Genome size as well as the repertoire and abundance of DNArepair components may vary among prokaryotic species. The bacteria of the Mollicutes class feature a small genome size, absence of a cell wall, and a parasitic lifestyle. A small number of genes make Mollicutes a good model for a “minimal cell” concept. Results In this work we studied the DNArepair system of Mycoplasma gallisepticum on genomic, transcriptional, and proteomic levels. We detected 18 out of 22 members of the DNArepair system on a protein level. We found that abundance of the respective mRNAs is less than one per cell. We studied transcriptional response of DNArepair genes of M. gallisepticum at stress conditions including heat, osmotic, peroxide stresses, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin treatment, stationary phase and heat stress in stationary phase. Conclusions Based on comparative genomic study, we determined that the DNArepair system M. gallisepticum includes a sufficient set of proteins to provide a cell with functional nucleotide and base excision repair and mismatch repair. We identified SOS-response in M. gallisepticum on ciprofloxacin, which is a known SOS-inducer, tetracycline and heat stress in the absence of established regulators. Heat stress was found to be the strongest SOS-inducer. We found that upon transition to stationary phase of culture growth transcription of DNArepair genes decreases dramatically. Heat stress does not induce SOS-response in a stationary phase. PMID:24148612

The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Mammalian DNARepair was held at Harbortown Resort, Ventura Beach, CA. Emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field.

Mammalian cells have developed complex mechanisms to identify DNA damage and activate the required response to maintain genome integrity. Those mechanisms include DNA damage detection, DNArepair, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis which operate together to protect the conceptus from DNA damage originating either in parental gametes or in the embryo's somatic cells. DNArepair in the newly fertilized preimplantation embryo is believed to rely entirely on the oocyte's machinery (mRNAs and proteins deposited and stored prior to ovulation). DNArepair genes have been shown to be expressed in the early stages of mammalian development. The survival of the embryo necessitates that the oocyte be sufficiently equipped with maternal stored products and that embryonic gene expression commences at the correct time. A Medline based literature search was performed using the keywords 'DNArepair' and 'embryo development' or 'gametogenesis' (publication dates between 1995 and 2006). Mammalian studies which investigated gene expression were selected. Further articles were acquired from the citations in the articles obtained from the preliminary Medline search. This paper reviews mammalian DNArepair from gametogenesis to preimplantation embryos to late gestational stages. PMID:17141556

Mutation of parkin is one of the most prevalent causes of autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease (PD). Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that acts on a variety of substrates, resulting in polyubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome or monoubiquitination and regulation of biological activity. However, the cellular functions of parkin that relate to its pathological involvement in PD are not well understood. Here we show that parkin is essential for optimal repair of DNA damage. Parkin-deficient cells exhibit reduced DNA excision repair that can be restored by transfection of wild-type parkin, but not by transfection of a pathological parkin mutant. Parkin also protects against DNA damage-induced cell death, an activity that is largely lost in the pathological mutant. Moreover, parkin interacts with the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a protein that coordinatesDNA excision repair. These results suggest that parkin promotes DNArepair and protects against genotoxicity, and implicate DNA damage as a potential pathogenic mechanism in PD.

Ultraviolet light-induced pyrimidine dimers in DNA are recognized and repaired by a number of unique cellular surveillance systems. The most direct biochemical mechanism responding to this kind of genotoxicity involves direct photoreversal by flavin enzymes that specifically monomerize pyrimidine:pyrimidine dimers monophotonically in the presence of visible light. Incision reactions are catalyzed by a combined pyrimidine dimer DNA-glycosylase:apyrimidinic endonuclease found in some highly UV-resistant organisms. At a higher level of complexity, Escherichia coli has a uvr DNArepair system comprising the UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC proteins responsible for incision. There are several preincision steps governed by this pathway, which includes an ATP-dependent UvrA dimerization reaction required for UvrAB nucleoprotein formation. This complex formation driven by ATP binding is associated with localized topological unwinding of DNA. This same protein complex can catalyze an ATPase-dependent 5'----3'-directed strand displacement of D-loop DNA or short single strands annealed to a single-stranded circular or linear DNA. This putative translocational process is arrested when damaged sites are encountered. The complex is now primed for dual incision catalyzed by UvrC. The remainder of the repair process involves UvrD (helicase II) and DNA polymerase I for a coordinately controlled excision-resynthesis step accompanied by UvrABC turnover. Furthermore, it is proposed that levels of repair proteins can be regulated by proteolysis. UvrB is converted to truncated UvrB* by a stress-induced protease that also acts at similar sites on the E. coli Ada protein. Although UvrB* can bind with UvrA to DNA, it cannot participate in helicase or incision reactions. It is also a DNA-dependent ATPase.21 references.

The meeting, titled ''DNARepair and Mutagenesis: Mechanism, Control, and Biological Consequences'', was designed to bring together the various sub-disciplines that collectively comprise the field of DNARepair and Mutagenesis. The keynote address was titled ''Mutability Doth Play Her Cruel Sports to Many Men's Decay: Variations on the Theme of Translesion Synthesis.'' Sessions were held on the following themes: Excision repair of DNA damage; Transcription and DNA excision repair; UmuC/DinB/Rev1/Rad30 superfamily of DNA polymerases; Cellular responses to DNA damage, checkpoints, and damage tolerance; Repair of mismatched bases, mutation; Genome-instability, and hypermutation; Repair of strand breaks; Replicational fidelity, and Late-breaking developments; Repair and mutation in challenging environments; and Defects in DNArepair: consequences for human disease and aging.

DNA replication is tightly coupled with DNArepair processes in order to preserve genomic integrity. During DNA replication, the replication fork encounters a variety of obstacles including DNA damage/adducts, secondary structures, and programmed fork-blocking sites, which are all difficult to replicate. The replication fork also collides with the transcription machinery, which shares the template DNA with the replisome complex. Under these conditions, replication forks stall, causing replication stress and/or fork collapse, ultimately leading to genomic instability. The mechanisms to overcome these replication problems remain elusive. Therefore, it is important to investigate how DNArepair and replication factors are recruited and coordinated at chromosomal regions that are difficult to replicate. In this chapter, we describe a chromatin immunoprecipitation method to locate proteins required for DNArepair during DNA replication in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This method can also easily be adapted to study replisome components or chromatin-associated factors. PMID:25916713

Sixteen species of enterobacteria have been screened for mutagenic DNArepair activity. In Escherichia coli, mutagenic DNArepair is encoded by the umuDC operon. Synthesis of UmuD and UmuC proteins is induced as part of the SOS response to DNA damage, and after induction, the UmuD protein undergoes an autocatalytic cleavage to produce the carboxy-terminal UmuD{prime} fragment needed for induced mutagenesis. The presence of a similar system in other species was examined by using a combined approach of inducible-mutagenesis assays, cross-reactivity to E. coli UmuD and UmuD{prime} antibodies to test for induction and cleavage of UmuD-like proteins, and hybridization with E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium u mu DNA probes to map umu-like genes. The results indicate a more widespread distribution of mutagenic DNArepair in other species than was previously thought. They also show that umu loci can be more complex in other species than in E. coli. Differences in UV-induced mutability of more than 200-fold were seen between different species of enteric bacteria and even between multiple natural isolates of E. coli, and yet some of the species which display a poorly mutable phenotype still have umu-like genes and proteins. It is suggested that umuDC genes can be curtailed in their mutagenic activities but that they may still participate in some other, unknown process which provides the continued stimulus for their retention.

Genetic material (DNA) is susceptible to spontaneous decomposition, to attack by reactive chemicals produced naturally in cells, and to assault by environmental and food mutagens. DNA modifications can lead to permanent genetic changes that promote human disease. To combat the deleterious effects of DNA damage, organisms are equipped with DNArepair systems. The focus of our investigations has been to elucidate the details of mammalian DNArepair. These studies have provided important insights into the relationship of DNArepair to human disease and the genetic factors that contribute to individual susceptibility to the harmful effects of environmental mutagens (e.g. ionizing radiation), and have established a framework for designing more effective anti-cancer treatment schemes. To investigate questions related to DNArepair, its mechanism(s) and linkage to disease development, the authors are employing an array of molecular, cellular, biochemical and structural approaches. These complementary experimental techniques have permitted a detailed analysis into various processes of human DNArepair.

One of the major early steps of repair is the recruitment of repair proteins at the damage site, and this is coordinated by a cascade of modifications controlled by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases and/or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). We used short interfering DNA molecules mimicking double-strand breaks (called Dbait) or single-strand breaks (called Pbait) to promote DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and PARP activation. Dbait bound and induced both PARP and DNA-PK activities, whereas Pbait acts only on PARP. Therefore, comparative study of the two molecules allows analysis of the respective roles of the two signaling pathways: both recruit proteins involved in single-strand break repair (PARP, XRCC1 and PCNA) and prevent their recruitment at chromosomal damage. Dbait, but not Pbait, also inhibits recruitment of proteins involved in double-strand break repair (53BP1, NBS1, RAD51 and DNA-PK). By these ways, Pbait and Dbait disorganize DNArepair, thereby sensitizing cells to various treatments. Single-strand breaks repair inhibition depends on direct trapping of the main proteins on both molecules. Double-strand breaks repair inhibition may be indirect, resulting from the phosphorylation of double-strand breaks repair proteins and chromatin targets by activated DNA-PK. The DNArepair inhibition by both molecules is confirmed by their synthetic lethality with BRCA mutations. PMID:23761435

Solar UVB is carcinogenic. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) counteracts the carcinogenicity of UVB by excising potentially mutagenic UVB-induced DNA lesions. Despite this capacity for DNArepair, non-melanoma skin cancers and apparently normal sun-exposed skin contain huge numbers of mutations that are mostly attributable to unrepaired UVB-induced DNA lesions. UVA is about 20-times more abundant than UVB in incident sunlight. It does cause some DNA damage but this does not fully account for its biological impact. The effects of solar UVA are mediated by its interactions with cellular photosensitizers that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce oxidative stress. The proteome is a significant target for damage by UVA-induced ROS. In cultured human cells, UVA-induced oxidation of DNArepair proteins inhibits DNArepair. This article addresses the possible role of oxidative stress and protein oxidation in determining DNArepair efficiency - with particular reference to NER and skin cancer risk. PMID:27324272

DNA damage affecting both genomic and mitochondrial DNA is present in a variety of both inherited and acquired vascular diseases. Multiple cell types show persistent DNA damage and a range of lesions. In turn, DNA damage activates a variety of DNArepair mechanisms, many of which are activated in vascular disease. Such DNArepair mechanisms either stall the cell cycle to allow repair to occur or trigger apoptosis or cell senescence to prevent propagation of damaged DNA. Recent evidence has indicated that DNA damage occurs early, is progressive, and is sufficient to impair function of cells composing the vascular wall. The consequences of persistent genomic and mitochondrial DNA damage, including inflammation, cell senescence, and apoptosis, are present in vascular disease. DNA damage can thus directly cause vascular disease, opening up new possibilities for both prevention and treatment. We review the evidence for and the causes, types, and consequences of DNA damage in vascular disease. PMID:26442438

Both proteolytic and nonproteolytic functions of ubiquitination are essential regulatory mechanisms for promoting DNArepair and the DNA damage response in mammalian cells. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) have emerged as key players in the maintenance of genome stability. In this minireview, we discuss the recent findings on human DUBs that participate in genome maintenance, with a focus on the role of DUBs in the modulation of DNArepair and DNA damage signaling. PMID:26644404

Genomic DNA is under constant attack from both endogenous and exogenous sources of DNA damaging agents. Without proper care, the ensuing DNA damages would lead to alteration of genomic structure thus affecting the faithful transmission of genetic information. During the process of evolution, organisms have acquired a series of mechanisms responding to and repairingDNA damage, thus assuring the maintenance of genome stability and faithful transmission of genetic information. DNA damage checkpoint is one such important mechanism by which, in the face of DNA damage, a cell can respond to amplified damage signals, either by actively halting the cell cycle until it ensures that critical processes such as DNA replication or mitosis are complete or by initiating apoptosis as a last resort. Over the last decade, complex hierarchical interactions between the key components like ATM/ATR in the checkpoint pathway and various other mediators, effectors including DNA damage repair proteins have begun to emerge. In the meantime, an intimate relationship between mechanisms of damage checkpoint pathway, DNA damage repair, and genome stability was also uncovered. Reviewed herein are the recent findings on both the mechanisms of activation of checkpoint pathways and their coordination with DNA damage repair machinery as well as their effect on genomic integrity. PMID:16722332

This year's Nobel Prize for chemistry recognizes the seminal contributions of three researchers who discovered the existence and the basic mechanisms of DNArepair: base excision repair, mismatch repair, and nucleotide excision repair. They have since been joined by many scientists elucidating diverse aspects of these complex mechanisms that now constitute a thriving research field with many applications, notably for understanding oncogenesis and devising more effective therapies. PMID:26850617

Pathways that control and modulate DNA methylation patterning in mammalian cells were poorly understood for a long time, although their importance in establishing and maintaining cell type-specific gene expression was well recognized. The discovery of proteins capable of converting 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to putative substrates for DNArepair introduced a novel and exciting conceptual framework for the investigation and ultimate discovery of molecular mechanisms of DNA demethylation. Against the prevailing notion that DNA methylation is a static epigenetic mark, it turned out to be dynamic and distinct mechanisms appear to have evolved to effect global and locus-specific DNA demethylation. There is compelling evidence that DNArepair, in particular base excision repair, contributes significantly to the turnover of 5mC in cells. By actively demethylating DNA, DNArepair supports the developmental establishment as well as the maintenance of DNA methylation landscapes and gene expression patterns. Yet, while the biochemical pathways are relatively well-established and reviewed, the biological context, function and regulation of DNArepair-mediated active DNA demethylation remains uncertain. In this review, we will thus summarize and critically discuss the evidence that associates active DNA demethylation by DNArepair with specific functional contexts including the DNA methylation erasure in the early embryo, the control of pluripotency and cellular differentiation, the maintenance of cell identity, and the nuclear reprogramming. PMID:27247237

SUMMARY All living organisms are continuously faced with endogenous or exogenous stress conditions affecting genome stability. DNArepair pathways act as a defense mechanism, which is essential to maintain DNA integrity. There is much to learn about the regulation and functions of these mechanisms, not only in human cells but also equally in divergent organisms. In trypanosomatids, DNArepair pathways protect the genome against mutations but also act as an adaptive mechanism to promote drug resistance. In this review, we scrutinize the molecular mechanisms and DNArepair pathways which are conserved in trypanosomatids. The recent advances made by the genome consortiums reveal the complete genomic sequences of several pathogens. Therefore, using bioinformatics and genomic sequences, we analyze the conservation of DNArepair proteins and their key protein motifs in trypanosomatids. We thus present a comprehensive view of DNArepair processes in trypanosomatids at the crossroads of DNArepair and drug resistance. PMID:24600040

DNArepair safeguards the genome against a diversity of DNA damaging agents. Although the mechanisms of many repair proteins have been examined separately in vitro, far less is known about the coordinated function of the whole repair machinery in vivo. Furthermore, single-cell studies indicate that DNA damage responses generate substantial variation in repair activities across cells. This review focuses on fluorescence imaging methods that offer a quantitative description of DNArepair in single cells by measuring protein concentrations, diffusion characteristics, localizations, interactions, and enzymatic rates. Emerging single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy methods now permit direct visualization of individual proteins and DNArepair events in vivo. We expect much can be learned about the organization of DNArepair by linking cell heterogeneity to mechanistic observations at the molecular level. PMID:24629485

An isolated and purified DNA molecule encoding a DNArepair protein, p95, is provided, as is isolated and purified p95. Also provided are methods of detecting p95 and DNA encoding p95. The invention further provides p95 knock-out mice.

Abstract Significance: Oxidative DNA damage is repaired by multiple, overlapping DNArepair pathways. Accumulating evidence supports the hypothesis that nucleotide excision repair (NER), besides base excision repair (BER), is also involved in neutralizing oxidative DNA damage. Recent Advances: NER includes two distinct sub-pathways: transcription-coupled NER (TC-NER) and global genome repair (GG-NER). The CSA and CSB proteins initiate the onset of TC-NER. Recent findings show that not only CSB, but also CSA is involved in the repair of oxidative DNA lesions, in the nucleus as well as in mitochondria. The XPG protein is also of importance for the removal of oxidative DNA lesions, as it may enhance the initial step of BER. Substantial evidence exists that support a role for XPC in NER and BER. XPC deficiency not only results in decreased repair of oxidative lesions, but has also been linked to disturbed redox homeostasis. Critical Issues: The role of NER proteins in the regulation of the cellular response to oxidative (mitochondrial and nuclear) DNA damage may be the underlying mechanism of the pathology of accelerated aging in Cockayne syndrome patients, a driving force for internal cancer development in XP-A and XP-C patients, and a contributor to the mixed exhibited phenotypes of XP-G patients. Future Directions: Accumulating evidence indicates that DNArepair factors can be involved in multiple DNArepair pathways. However, the distinct detailed mechanism and consequences of these additional functions remain to be elucidated and can possibly shine a light on clinically related issues. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 2409–2419. PMID:23216312

Faithful DNArepair is essential to avoid chromosomal rearrangements and promote genome integrity. Nuclear organization has emerged as a key parameter in the formation of chromosomal translocations, yet little is known as to whether DNArepair can efficiently occur throughout the nucleus and whether it is affected by the location of the lesion. Here, we induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at different nuclear compartments and follow their fate. We demonstrate that DSBs induced at the nuclear membrane (but not at nuclear pores or nuclear interior) fail to rapidly activate the DNA damage response (DDR) and repair by homologous recombination (HR). Real-time and superresolution imaging reveal that DNA DSBs within lamina-associated domains do not migrate to more permissive environments for HR, like the nuclear pores or the nuclear interior, but instead are repaired in situ by alternative end-joining. Our results are consistent with a model in which nuclear position dictates the choice of DNArepair pathway, thus revealing a new level of regulation in DSB repair controlled by spatial organization of DNA within the nucleus. PMID:25366693

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a DNA-activated serine/threonine protein kinase, and abundantly expressed in almost all mammalian cells. The roles of DNA-PK in DNA-damage repair pathways, including non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair and homologous recombinant (HR) repair, have been studied intensively. However, the high levels of DNA-PK in human cells are somewhat paradoxical in that it does not impart any increased ability to repairDNA damage. If DNA-PK essentially exceeds the demand for DNA damage repair, why do human cells universally express such high levels of this huge complex? DNA-PK has been recently reported to be involved in metabolic gene regulation in response to feeding/insulin stimulation; our studies have also suggested a role of DNA-PK in the regulation of the homeostasis of cell proliferation. These novel findings expand our horizons about the importance of DNA-PK. PMID:21514376

The genetic information of cells continuously undergoes damage induced by intracellular processes including energy metabolism, DNA replication and transcription, and by environmental factors such as mutagenic chemicals and UV and ionizing radiation. This causes numerous DNA lesions, including double strand breaks (DSBs). Since cells cannot escape this damage or normally function with a damaged genome, several DNArepair mechanisms have evolved. Although most "single-stranded" DNA lesions are rapidly removed from DNA without permanent damage, DSBs completely break the DNA molecule, presenting a real challenge for repair mechanisms, with the highest risk among DNA lesions of incorrect repair. Hence, DSBs can have serious consequences for human health. Therefore, in this chapter, we will refer only to this type of DNA damage. In addition to the biochemical aspects of DSB repair, which have been extensively studied over a long period of time, the spatio-temporal organization of DSB induction and repair, the importance of which was recognized only recently, will be considered in terms of current knowledge and remaining questions.

Cells are constantly exposed to a variety of environmental and endogenous conditions causing DNA damage, which is detected and repaired by conserved DNArepair pathways to maintain genomic integrity. Chromatin remodeling is critical in this process, as the organization of eukaryotic DNA into compact chromatin presents a natural barrier to all DNA-related events. Studies on human premature aging syndromes together with normal aging have suggested that accumulated damages might lead to exhaustion of resources that are required for physiological functions and thus accelerate aging. In this manuscript, combining the present understandings and latest findings, we focus mainly on discussing the role of chromatin remodeling in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and regulation of aging. PMID:23633913

Several genes involved in mammalian DNArepair pathways were identified by complementation analysis and chromosomal mapping based on hybrid cells. Eight complementation groups of rodent mutants defective in the repair of uv radiation damage are now identified. At least seven of these genes are probably essential for repair and at least six of them control the incision step. The many genes required for repair of DNA cross-linking damage show overlap with those involved in the repair of uv damage, but some of these genes appear to be unique for cross-link repair. Two genes residing on human chromosome 19 were cloned from genomic transformants using a cosmid vector, and near full-length cDNA clones of each gene were isolated and sequenced. Gene ERCC2 efficiently corrects the defect in CHO UV5, a nucleotide excision repair mutant. Gene XRCC1 normalizes repair of strand breaks and the excessive sister chromatid exchange in CHO mutant EM9. ERCC2 shows a remarkable /approximately/52% overall homology at both the amino acid and nucleotide levels with the yeast RAD3 gene. Evidence based on mutation induction frequencies suggests that ERCC2, like RAD3, might also be an essential gene for viability. 100 refs., 4 tabs.

New research shows that DNA polymerase θ is a key player in PARP-mediated DNA damage repair and essential for the survival of cancer cells where homologous recombination is compromised. Polθ could be a biomarker for PARP-inhibitor response, and is a potential therapeutic target for overcoming resistance to these drugs. PMID:25851856

As a graduate student with Professor Richard Setlow at Yale in the late 1950s, I studied the effects of ultraviolet and visible light on the syntheses of DNA, RNA, and protein in bacteria. I reflect upon my research in the Yale Biophysics Department, my subsequent postdoctoral experiences, and the eventual analyses in the laboratories of Setlow, Paul Howard-Flanders, and myself that constituted the discovery of the ubiquitous pathway of DNA excision repair in the early 1960s. I then offer a brief perspective on a few more recent developments in the burgeoning DNArepair field and their relationships to human disease. PMID:24348216

DNA lesions arise from many endogenous and environmental agents, and such lesions can promote deleterious events leading to genomic instability and cell death. Base excision repair (BER) is the main DNArepair pathway responsible for repairing single strand breaks, base lesions and abasic sites in mammalian cells. During BER, DNA substrates and repair intermediates are channeled from one step to the next in a sequential fashion so that release of toxic repair intermediates is minimized. This includes handoff of the product of gap-filling DNA synthesis to the DNA ligation step. The conformational differences in DNA polymerase β (pol β) associated with incorrect or oxidized nucleotide (8-oxodGMP) insertion could impact channeling of the repair intermediate to the final step of BER, i.e., DNA ligation by DNA ligase I or the DNA Ligase III/XRCC1 complex. Thus, modified DNA ligase substrates produced by faulty pol β gap-filling could impair coordination between pol β and DNA ligase. Ligation failure is associated with 5'-AMP addition to the repair intermediate and accumulation of strand breaks that could be more toxic than the initial DNA lesions. Here, we provide an overview of the consequences of ligation failure in the last step of BER. We also discuss DNA-end processing mechanisms that could play roles in reversal of impaired BER. PMID:26596511

Sunlight and some environmental chemical agents produce lesions in the DNA of human skin cells that if unrepaired may interfere with normal functioning of these cells. The most serious outcome of such interactions may be malignancy. It is therefore important to develop an understanding of mechanisms by which the lesions may be repaired or tolerated without deleterious consequences. Our models for the molecular processing of damaged DNA have been derived largely from the study of bacterial systems. Some similarities but significant differences are revealed when human cell responses are tested against these models. It is also of importance to learn DNArepair responses of epidermal keratinocytes for comparison with the more extensive studies that have been carried out with dermal fibroblasts. Our experimental results thus far indicate similarities for the excision-repair of ultraviolet-induced pyrimidine dimers in human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Both the monoadducts and the interstrand crosslinks produced in DNA by photoactivated 8-methoxypsoralen (PUVA) can be repaired in normal human fibroblasts but not in those from xeroderma pigmentosum patients. The monoadducts, like pyrimidine dimers, are probably the more mutagenic/carcinogenic lesions while the crosslinks are less easily repaired and probably result in more effective blocking of DNA function. It is suggested that a split-dose protocol that maximizes the production of crosslinks while minimizing the yield of monoadducts may be more effective and potentially less carcinogenic than the single ultraviolet exposure regimen in PUVA therapy for psoriasis.

Personalized cancer therapy is likely to be one of the next big advances in our search for a cure for cancer. To be able to treat people in an individualized manner, researchers need to know a great deal about their genetic constitution and the DNArepair status of their tumors. Specific knowledge is required regarding the polymorphisms individuals carry and how these polymorphisms influence responses to therapy. Researchers are actively engaged in biomarker discovery and validation for this purpose. In addition, the design of clinical trials must be reassessed to include new information on biomarkers and drug responses. In this review, we focus on personalized breast cancer therapy. The hypothesis we focus upon in this review is that there is connection between the DNArepair profile of individuals, their breast tumor subtypes, and their responses to cancer therapy. We first briefly review cellular DNArepair pathways that are likely to be impacted by breast cancer therapies. Next, we review the phenotypes of breast tumor subtypes with an emphasis on how a DNArepair deficiency might result in tumorigenesis itself and lead to the chemotherapeutic responses that are observed. Specific examples of breast tumor subtypes and their responses to cancer therapy are given, and we discuss possible DNArepair mechanisms that underlie the responses of tumors to various chemotherapeutic agents. Much is known about breast cancer subtypes and the way each of these subtypes responds to chemotherapy. In addition, we discuss novel design of clinical trials that incorporates rapidly emerging information on biomarkers. PMID:20872853

All organisms have pathways that repair the genome, ensuring their survival and that of their progeny. But these pathways also serve to diversify the genome, causing changes on the level of nucleotide, whole gene, and genome structure. Sequencing of bacteria has revealed wide allelic diversity and differences in gene content within the same species, highlighting the importance of understanding pathways of recombination and DNArepair. The human stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori is an excellent model system for studying these pathways. H. pylori harbors major recombination and repair pathways and is naturally competent, facilitating its ability to diversify its genome. Elucidation of DNA recombination, repair, and diversification programs in this pathogen will reveal connections between these pathways and their importance to infection. PMID:21682641

Deficiencies in DNArepair due to inherited germ-line mutations in DNArepair genes cause increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. In sporadic GI cancers, mutations in DNArepair genes are relatively rare. However, epigenetic alterations that reduce expression of DNArepair genes are frequent in sporadic GI cancers. These epigenetic reductions are also found in field defects that give rise to cancers. Reduced DNArepair likely allows excessive DNA damages to accumulate in somatic cells. Then either inaccurate translesion synthesis past the un-repairedDNA damages or error-prone DNArepair can cause mutations. Erroneous DNArepair can also cause epigenetic alterations (i.e., epimutations, transmitted through multiple replication cycles). Some of these mutations and epimutations may cause progression to cancer. Thus, deficient or absent DNArepair is likely an important underlying cause of cancer. Whole genome sequencing of GI cancers show that between thousands to hundreds of thousands of mutations occur in these cancers. Epimutations that reduce DNArepair gene expression and occur early in progression to GI cancers are a likely source of this high genomic instability. Cancer cells deficient in DNArepair are more vulnerable than normal cells to inactivation by DNA damaging agents. Thus, some of the most clinically effective chemotherapeutic agents in cancer treatment are DNA damaging agents, and their effectiveness often depends on deficient DNArepair in cancer cells. Recently, at least 18 DNArepair proteins, each active in one of six DNArepair pathways, were found to be subject to epigenetic reduction of expression in GI cancers. Different DNArepair pathways repair different types of DNA damage. Evaluation of which DNArepair pathway(s) are deficient in particular types of GI cancer and/or particular patients may prove useful in guiding choice of therapeutic agents in cancer therapy. PMID:25987950

Aberrant activation of DNArepair is frequently associated with tumor progression and response to therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Bioinformatics analyses of HCC data in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were performed to define DNArepair based molecular classification that could predict the prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, we tested its predictive performance in 120 independent cases. Four molecular subgroups were identified on the basis of coordinateDNArepair cluster (CDRC) comprising 15 genes in TCGA dataset. Increasing expression of CDRC genes were significantly associated with TP53 mutation. High CDRC was significantly correlated with advanced tumor grades, advanced pathological stage and increased vascular invasion rate. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the molecular subgrouping was an independent prognostic parameter for both overall survival (p = 0.004, hazard ratio (HR): 2.989) and tumor-free survival (p = 0.049, HR: 3.366) in TCGA dataset. Similar results were also obtained by analyzing the independent cohort. These data suggest that distinct dysregulation of DNArepair constituents based molecular classes in HCC would be useful for predicting prognosis and designing clinical trials for targeted therapy. PMID:27174663

Aberrant activation of DNArepair is frequently associated with tumor progression and response to therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Bioinformatics analyses of HCC data in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were performed to define DNArepair based molecular classification that could predict the prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, we tested its predictive performance in 120 independent cases. Four molecular subgroups were identified on the basis of coordinateDNArepair cluster (CDRC) comprising 15 genes in TCGA dataset. Increasing expression of CDRC genes were significantly associated with TP53 mutation. High CDRC was significantly correlated with advanced tumor grades, advanced pathological stage and increased vascular invasion rate. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the molecular subgrouping was an independent prognostic parameter for both overall survival (p = 0.004, hazard ratio (HR): 2.989) and tumor-free survival (p = 0.049, HR: 3.366) in TCGA dataset. Similar results were also obtained by analyzing the independent cohort. These data suggest that distinct dysregulation of DNArepair constituents based molecular classes in HCC would be useful for predicting prognosis and designing clinical trials for targeted therapy. PMID:27174663

DNA end resection is a key process in the cellular response to DNA double-strand break damage that is essential for genome maintenance and cell survival. Resection involves selective processing of 5' ends of broken DNA to generate ssDNA overhangs, which in turn control both DNArepair and checkpoint signaling. DNA resection is the first step in homologous recombination-mediated repair and a prerequisite for the activation of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR)-dependent checkpoint that coordinatesrepair with cell cycle progression and other cellular processes. Resection occurs in a cell cycle-dependent manner and is regulated by multiple factors to ensure an optimal amount of ssDNA required for proper repair and genome stability. Here, we review the latest findings on the molecular mechanisms and regulation of the DNA end resection process and their implications for cancer formation and treatment. PMID:27174871

The RecQ helicases are conserved from bacteria to humans and play a critical role in genome stability. In humans, loss of RecQ gene function is associated with cancer predisposition and/or premature aging. Recent data have shown that the RecQ helicases function during two distinct steps during DNArepair; DNA end resection and resolution of double Holliday junctions (dHJs). RecQ functions in these different processing steps has important implications for its role in repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) that occur during DNA replication, meiosis and at specific genomic loci such as telomeres. PMID:21047263

The genome of a living cell is continuously under attack by exogenous and endogenous genotoxins. Especially, life at high temperature inflicts additional stress on genomic DNA, and very high rates of potentially mutagenic DNA lesions, including deamination, depurination, and oxidation, are expected. However, the spontaneous mutation rates in hyperthermophiles are similar to that in Escherichia coli, and it is interesting to determine how the hyperthermophiles preserve their genomes under such grueling environmental conditions. In addition, organisms with extremely radioresistant phenotypes are targets for investigating special DNArepair mechanisms in extreme environments. Multiple DNArepair mechanisms have evolved in all organisms to ensure genomic stability, by preventing impediments that result in genome destabilizing lesions. PMID:26056771

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare human genetic disorder characterized by developmental defects, bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition, primarily due to a deficiency in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). ICL repair through the FA DNArepair pathway is a complicated multi-step process, involving at least 19 FANC proteins and coordination of multiple DNArepair activities, including homologous recombination, nucleotide excision repair and translesion synthesis (TLS). SUMOylation is a critical regulator of several DNArepair pathways, however, the role of this modification in controlling the FA pathway is poorly understood. Here, we summarize recent advances in the fine-tuning of the FA pathway by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-targeted ubiquitin ligases (STUbLs) and other SUMO-related interactions, and discuss the implications of these findings in the design of novel therapeutics for alleviating FA-associated condition, including cancer. PMID:27148358

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are the major DNA photoproducts produced upon exposure to UV radiation. If left unrepaired, these lesions can lead to replication errors, mutation, and cell death. Photolyase is a light-activated flavoenzyme that binds to pyrimidine dimers in DNA and repairs them in a reaction triggered by electron transfer from the photoexcited flavin cofactor to the dimer. Using gold electrodes modified with DNA duplexes containing a cyclobutane thymine dimer (T<>T), here we probe the electrochemistry of the flavin cofactor in Escherichia coli photolyase. Cyclic and square-wave voltammograms of photolyase deposited on these electrodes show a redox signal at 40 mV versus normal hydrogen electrode, consistent with electron transfer to and from the flavin in the DNA-bound protein. This signal is dramatically attenuated on surfaces where the π-stacking of the DNA bases is perturbed by the presence of an abasic site below the T<>T, an indication that the redox pathway is DNA-mediated. DNArepair can, moreover, be monitored electrically. Exposure of photolyase on T<>T-damaged DNA films to near-UV/blue light leads to changes in the flavin signal consistent with repair, as confirmed by parallel HPLC experiments. These results demonstrate the exquisite sensitivity of DNA electrochemistry to perturbations in base pair stacking and the applicability of this chemistry to probe reactions of proteins with DNA. Author contributions: M.C.D. and J.K.B. designed research; M.C.D. performed research; A.S. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; M.C.D. analyzed data; and M.C.D. and J.K.B. wrote the paper.This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office.Abbreviations: T<>T, thymine dimer; CT, charge transport.

DNA, the genetic blueprint, has the remarkable property of encoding its own repair following diverse types of structural damage induced by external agents or normal metabolism. We are studying the interplay of DNA damaging agents, repair genes, and their protein products to decipher the complex biochemical pathways that mediate such repair. Our research focuses on repair processes that correct DNA damage produced by chemical mutagens and radiation, both ionizing and ultraviolet. The most important type of DNArepair in human cells is called excision repair. This multistep process removes damaged or inappropriate pieces of DNA -- often as a string of 29 nucleotides containing the damage -- and replaces them with intact ones. We have isolated, cloned, and mapped several human repair genes associated with the nucleotide excision repair pathway and involved in the repair of DNA damage after exposure to ultraviolet light or mutagens in cooked food. We have shown that a defect in one of these repair genes, ERCC2, is responsible for the repair deficiency in one of the groups of patients with the recessive genetic disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP group D). We are exploring ways to purify sufficient quantities (milligrams) of the protein products of these and other repair genes so that we can understand their functions. Our long-term goals are to link defective repair proteins to human DNArepair disorders that predispose to cancer, and to produce DNA-repair-deficient mice that can serve as models for the human disorders.

The maintenance of genome stability is critical for survival, and its failure is often associated with tumorigenesis. The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway is essential for the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs), and a germline defect in the pathway results in FA, a cancer predisposition syndrome driven by genome instability. Central to this pathway is the monoubiquitination of FANCD2, which coordinates multiple DNArepair activities required for the resolution of ICLs. Recent studies have demonstrated how the FA pathway coordinates three critical DNArepair processes, including nucleolytic incision, translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), and homologous recombination (HR). Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the downstream ICL repair steps initiated by ubiquitin-mediated FA pathway activation. PMID:22751496

Transient DNA strand break formation has been identified as an effective means to enhance gene expression in living cells. In the muscle lineage, cell differentiation is contingent upon the induction of caspase-mediated DNA strand breaks, which act to establish the terminal gene expression program. This coordinatedDNA nicking is rapidly resolved, suggesting that myoblasts may deploy DNArepair machinery to stabilize the genome and entrench the differentiated phenotype. Here, we identify the base excision repair pathway component XRCC1 as an indispensable mediator of muscle differentiation. Caspase-triggered XRCC1 repair foci form rapidly within differentiating myonuclei, and then dissipate as the maturation program proceeds. Skeletal myoblast deletion of Xrcc1 does not have an impact on cell growth, yet leads to perinatal lethality, with sustained DNA damage and impaired myofiber development. Together, these results demonstrate that XRCC1 manages a temporally responsive DNArepair process to advance the muscle differentiation program. PMID:27462438

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes subunits of the mitochondrial electron transport system and the rRNAs and tRNAs required for constructing the mitochondrial translational machinery. Each subunit encoded by mtDNA is essential for normal oxidative phosphorylation. Thus, integrity of the mtDNA is crucial for the survival of organisms. It has long been held that there is no DNArepair in mitochondria. But in recent years,a number of repair factors have been found in mitochondrial extracts, suggesting the presence of DNArepair in mitochondria. This review summarized recent progress of enzyme in mitochondrial DNArepair processes. PMID:15640002

To explore the link between DNA damage and gene silencing, we induced a DNA double-strand break in the genome of Hela or mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells using I-SceI restriction endonuclease. The I-SceI site lies within one copy of two inactivated tandem repeated green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes (DR-GFP). A total of 2%–4% of the cells generated a functional GFP by homology-directed repair (HR) and gene conversion. However, ~50% of these recombinants expressed GFP poorly. Silencing was rapid and associated with HR and DNA methylation of the recombinant gene, since it was prevented in Hela cells by 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine. ES cells deficient in DNA methyl transferase 1 yielded as many recombinants as wild-type cells, but most of these recombinants expressed GFP robustly. Half of the HR DNA molecules were de novo methylated, principally downstream to the double-strand break, and half were undermethylated relative to the uncut DNA. Methylation of the repaired gene was independent of the methylation status of the converting template. The methylation pattern of recombinant molecules derived from pools of cells carrying DR-GFP at different loci, or from an individual clone carrying DR-GFP at a single locus, was comparable. ClustalW analysis of the sequenced GFP molecules in Hela and ES cells distinguished recombinant and nonrecombinant DNA solely on the basis of their methylation profile and indicated that HR superimposed novel methylation profiles on top of the old patterns. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA analysis revealed that DNA methyl transferase 1 was bound specifically to HR GFP DNA and that methylation of the repaired segment contributed to the silencing of GFP expression. Taken together, our data support a mechanistic link between HR and DNA methylation and suggest that DNA methylation in eukaryotes marks homologous recombined segments. PMID:17616978

DNA is the prime target of anticancer treatments. DNA damage triggers a series of signaling cascades promoting cellular survival, including DNArepair, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy. The elevated basal and/or stressful levels of both DNArepair and autophagy observed in tumor cells, in contrast to normal cells, have been identified as the most important drug-responsive programs that impact the outcome of anticancer therapy. The exact relationship between DNArepair and autophagy in cancer cells remains unclear. On one hand, autophagy has been shown to regulate some of the DNArepair proteins after DNA damage by maintaining the balance between their synthesis, stabilization, and degradation. One the other hand, some evidence has demonstrated that some DNArepair molecular have a crucial role in the initiation of autophagy. In this review, we mainly discuss the interplay between DNArepair and autophagy in anticancer therapy and expect to enlighten some effective strategies for cancer treatment. PMID:25985143

Women with breast cancer and a family history of breast cancer and some with sporadic breast cancer are deficient in the repair of radiation-induced DNA damage compared with normal donors with no family history of breast cancer. DNArepair was measured indirectly by quantifying chromatid breaks in phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated blood lymphocytes after either X-irradiation or UV-C exposure, with or without post treatment with the DNArepair inhibitor, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C). We have correlated chromatid breaks with unrepaired DNA strand breaks using responses to X-irradiation of cells from xeroderma pigmentosum patients with well-characterised DNArepair defects or responses of repair-deficient mutant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with or without transfected human DNArepair genes. Deficient DNArepair appears to be a predisposing factor in familial breast cancer and in some sporadic breast cancers. PMID:8679441

If eukaryotic genes could protect bacteria with defects in DNArepair, this effect could be exploited for the isolation of eukaryotic DNArepair genes. We have thus cloned a DNArepair gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that directs the synthesis of a DNA glycosylase that specifically releases 3-methyladenine from alkylated DNA and in so doing protects alkylation-sensitive Escherichia coli from killing by methylating agents. The cloned yeast gene was then used to generate a mutant strain of S. cerevisiae that carries a defect in the glycosylase gene and is extremely sensitive to DNA methylation. This approach may allow the isolation of a large number of eukaryotic DNArepair genes.

Sumoylation plays important roles during DNA damage repair and responses. Recent broad-scope and substrate-based studies have shed light on the regulation and significance of sumoylation during these processes. An emerging paradigm is that sumoylation of many DNA metabolism proteins is controlled by DNA engagement. Such “on-site modification” can explain low substrate modification levels and has important implications in sumoylation mechanisms and effects. New studies also suggest that sumoylation can regulate a process through an ensemble effect or via major substrates. Additionally, we describe new trends in the functional effects of sumoylation, such as bi-directional changes in biomolecule binding and multi-level coordination with other modifications. These emerging themes and models will stimulate our thinking and research in sumoylation and genome maintenance. PMID:25778614

Yields of chromosome aberrations were assessed in cells deficient in DNA doublestrand break (DSB) repair, after exposure to acute or to low-dose-rate (0.018 Gy/hr) gamma rays or acute high LET iron nuclei. We studied several cell lines including fibroblasts deficient in ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated; product of the gene that is mutated in ataxia telangiectasia patients) or NBS (nibrin; product of the gene mutated in the Nijmegen breakage syndrome), and gliomablastoma cells that are proficient or lacking in DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity. Chromosomes were analyzed using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) chromosome painting method in cells at the first division post irradiation, and chromosome aberrations were identified as either simple exchanges (translocations and dicentrics) or complex exchanges (involving >2 breaks in 2 or more chromosomes). Gamma irradiation induced greater yields of both simple and complex exchanges in the DSB repair-defective cells than in the normal cells. The quadratic dose-response terms for both simple and complex chromosome exchanges were significantly higher for the ATM- and NBS-deficient lines than for normal fibroblasts. However, in the NBS cells the linear dose-response term was significantly higher only for simple exchanges. The large increases in the quadratic dose-response terms in these repair-defective cell lines points the importance of the functions of ATM and NBS in chromatin modifications to facilitate correct DSB repair and minimize the formation of aberrations. The differences found between ATM- and NBS-deficient cells at low doses suggest that important questions should with regard to applying observations of radiation sensitivity at high dose to low-dose exposures. For aberrations induced by iron nuclei, regression models preferred purely linear dose responses for simple exchanges and quadratic dose responses for complex exchanges. Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) factors of all of

Disruptions in DNArepair pathways predispose cells to accumulating DNA damage. A growing body of evidence indicates that tumors accumulate progressively more mutations in DNArepair proteins as cancers progress. DNArepair mechanisms greatly affect the response to cytotoxic treatments, so understanding those mechanisms and finding ways to turn dysregulated repair processes against themselves to induce tumor death is the goal of all DNArepair inhibition efforts. Inhibition may be direct or indirect. This burgeoning field of research is replete with promise and challenge, as more intricacies of each repair pathway are discovered. In an era of increasing concern about healthcare costs, use of DNArepair inhibitors can prove to be highly effective stewardship of R&D resources and patient expenses. PMID:24947262

Differences in DNArepair capacity have been hypothesized to underlie the great range of maximum lifespans among mammals. However, measurements of individual DNArepair activities in cells and animals have not substantiated such a relationship because utilization of repair pathways among animals—depending on habitats, anatomical characteristics, and life styles—varies greatly between mammalian species. Recent advances in high-throughput genomics, in combination with increased knowledge of the genetic pathways involved in genome maintenance, now enable a comprehensive comparison of DNArepair transcriptomes in animal species with extreme lifespan differences. Here we compare transcriptomes of liver, an organ with high oxidative metabolism and abundant spontaneous DNA damage, from humans, naked mole rats, and mice, with maximum lifespans of ∼120, 30, and 3 years, respectively, with a focus on genes involved in DNArepair. The results show that the longer-lived species, human and naked mole rat, share higher expression of DNArepair genes, including core genes in several DNArepair pathways. A more systematic approach of signaling pathway analysis indicates statistically significant upregulation of several DNArepair signaling pathways in human and naked mole rat compared with mouse. The results of this present work indicate, for the first time, that DNArepair is upregulated in a major metabolic organ in long-lived humans and naked mole rats compared with short-lived mice. These results strongly suggest that DNArepair can be considered a genuine longevity assurance system. PMID:26729707

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most deleterious DNA lesions, which if unrepaired or repaired incorrectly can cause cell death or genome instability that may lead to cancer. To counteract these adverse consequences, eukaryotes have evolved a highly orchestrated mechanism to repair DSBs, namely DNA-damage-response (DDR). DDR, as defined specifically in relation to DSBs, consists of multi-layered regulatory modes including DNA damage sensors, transducers and effectors, through which DSBs are sensed and then repaired via DNAprotein interactions. Unexpectedly, recent studies have revealed a direct role of RNA in the repair of DSBs, including DSB-induced small RNA (diRNA)-directed and RNA-templated DNArepair. Here, we summarize the recent discoveries of RNA-mediated regulation of DSB repair and discuss the potential impact of these novel RNA components of the DSB repair pathway on genomic stability and plasticity. PMID:25960340

TOPBP1 is a key player in DNA replication and DNA damage signaling. In this issue, Moudry et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201507042) uncover a crucial role for TOPBP1 in DNArepair by revealing its requirement for RAD51 loading during repair of double strand breaks by homologous recombination. PMID:26811424

Normal human and XP2 fibroblasts were treated with UV plus UV-mimetic chemicals. The UV dose used was sufficient to saturate the UV excision repair system. Excision repair after combined treatments was estimated by unscheduled DNA synthesis, BrdUrd photolysis, and the loss of sites sensitive to a UV specific endonuclease. Since the repair of damage from UV and its mimetics is coordinately controlled we expected that there would be similar rate-limiting steps in the repair of UV and chemical damage and that after a combined treatment the total amount of repair would be the same as from UV or the chemicals separately. The expectation was not fulfilled. In normal cells repair after a combined treatment was additive whereas in XP cells repair after a combined treatment was usually less than after either agent separately. The chemicals tested were AAAF, DMBA-epoxide, 4NQO, and ICR-170.

Cellular repair enzymes remove virtually all DNA damage before it is fixed; repair therefore plays a crucial role in preventing cancer. Repair studied at the level of transcription correlates poorly with enzyme activity, and so assays of phenotype are needed. In a biochemical approach, substrate nucleoids containing specific DNA lesions are incubated with cell extract; repair enzymes in the extract induce breaks at damage sites; and the breaks are measured with the comet assay. The nature of the substrate lesions defines the repair pathway to be studied. This in vitro DNArepair assay has been modified for use in animal tissues, specifically to study the effects of aging and nutritional intervention on repair. Recently, the assay was applied to different strains of Drosophila melanogaster proficient and deficient in DNArepair. Most applications of the repair assay have been in human biomonitoring. Individual DNArepair activity may be a marker of cancer susceptibility; alternatively, high repair activity may result from induction of repair enzymes by exposure to DNA-damaging agents. Studies to date have examined effects of environment, nutrition, lifestyle, and occupation, in addition to clinical investigations. PMID:25202323

The maintenance of genomic integrity is an important process in organisms as failure to sense and repair damaged DNA can result in a variety of diseases. Eukaryotic cells have developed complex DNArepair response (DDR) mechanisms to accurately sense and repair damaged DNA. Post-translational modifications by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins, such as SUMO and NEDD8, have roles in coordinating the progression of DDR. Proteins in the neddylation pathway have also been linked to regulating DDR. Of interest is the COP9 signalosome (CSN), a multi-subunit metalloprotease present in eukaryotes that removes NEDD8 from cullins and regulates the activity of cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRLs). This in turn regulates the stability and turnover of a host of CRL-targeted proteins, some of which have established roles in DDR. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the role of the CSN and neddylation in DNArepair. PMID:26437438

Cellular DNArepair processes are crucial to maintain genome stability and integrity. In DNA base excision repair, a tight heterodimer complex formed by DNA polymerase β (Polβ) and XRCC1 is thought to facilitate repair by recruiting Polβ to DNA damage sites. Here we show that disruption of the complex does not impact DNA damage response or DNArepair. Instead, the heterodimer formation is required to prevent ubiquitylation and degradation of Polβ. In contrast, the stability of the XRCC1 monomer is protected from CHIP-mediated ubiquitylation by interaction with the binding partner HSP90. In response to cellular proliferation and DNA damage, proteasome and HSP90-mediated regulation of Polβ and XRCC1 alters the DNArepair complex architecture. We propose that protein stability, mediated by DNArepair protein complex formation, functions as a regulatory mechanism for DNArepair pathway choice in the context of cell cycle progression and genome surveillance. PMID:25423885

The xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) helicase is a component of the transcription factor IIH complex in eukaryotes and plays an essential role in DNArepair in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. XPD is a 5' to 3' helicase with an essential iron-sulfur cluster. Structural and biochemical studies of the monomeric archaeal XPD homologues have aided a mechanistic understanding of this important class of helicase, but several important questions remain open. In particular, the mechanism for DNA loading, which is assumed to require large protein conformational change, is not fully understood. Here, DNA binding by the archaeal XPD helicase fromThermoplasma acidophilumhas been investigated using a combination of crystallography, cross-linking, modified substrates and biochemical assays. The data are consistent with an initial tight binding of ssDNA to helicase domain 2, followed by transient opening of the interface between the Arch and 4FeS domains, allowing access to a second binding site on helicase domain 1 that directs DNA through the pore. A crystal structure of XPD fromSulfolobus acidocaldiariusthat lacks helicase domain 2 has an otherwise unperturbed structure, emphasizing the stability of the interface between the Arch and 4FeS domains in XPD. PMID:26896802

This article reviews the early history of the discovery of an DNArepair pathway designated as base excision repair (BER), since in contrast to the enzyme-catalyzed removal of damaged bases from DNA as nucleotides [called nucleotide excision repair (NER)], BER involves the removal of damaged or inappropriate bases, such as the presence of uracil instead of thymine, from DNA as free bases. PMID:26861186

Ionizing radiation induces various types of damage in mammalian cells including DNA single-strand breaks, DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), DNA-protein cross links, and altered DNA bases. Although human cells can repair many of these lesions there is little detailed knowledge of the nature of the genes and the encoded enzymes that control these repair processes. We report here on the cellular and genetic analyses of DNA double-strand break repair deficient mammalian cells. It has been well established that the DNA double-strand break is one of the major lesions induced by ionizing radiation. Utilizing rodent repair-deficient mutant, we have shown that the genes responsible for DNA double-strand break repair are also responsible for the cellular expression of radiation sensitivity. The molecular genetic analysis of DSB repair in rodent/human hybrid cells indicate that at least 6 different genes in mammalian cells are responsible for the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Mapping and the prospect of cloning of human radiation repair genes are reviewed. Understanding the molecular and genetic basis of radiation sensitivity and DNArepair in man will provide a rational foundation to predict the individual risk associated with radiation exposure and to prevent radiation-induced genetic damage in the human population.

Ionizing radiation induces various types of damage in mammalian cells including DNA single-strand breaks, DNA double-strand breaks (DSB), DNA-protein cross links, and altered DNA bases. Although human cells can repair many of these lesions there is little detailed knowledge of the nature of the genes and the encoded enzymes that control these repair processes. We report here on the cellular and genetic analyses of DNA double-strand break repair deficient mammalian cells. It has been well established that the DNA double-strand break is one of the major lesions induced by ionizing radiation. Utilizing rodent repair-deficient mutant, we have shown that the genes responsible for DNA double-strand break repair are also responsible for the cellular expression of radiation sensitivity. The molecular genetic analysis of DSB repair in rodent/human hybrid cells indicate that at least 6 different genes in mammalian cells are responsible for the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Mapping and the prospect of cloning of human radiation repair genes are reviewed. Understanding the molecular and genetic basis of radiation sensitivity and DNArepair in man will provide a rational foundation to predict the individual risk associated with radiation exposure and to prevent radiation-induced genetic damage in the human population.

The anti-metabolite 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is employed clinically to manage solid tumors including colorectal and breast cancer. Intracellular metabolites of 5-FU can exert cytotoxic effects via inhibition of thymidylate synthetase, or through incorporation into RNA and DNA, events that ultimately activate apoptosis. In this review, we cover the current data implicating DNArepair processes in cellular responsiveness to 5-FU treatment. Evidence points to roles for base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR). However, mechanistic details remain unexplained, and other pathways have not been exhaustively interrogated. Homologous recombination is of particular interest, because it resolves unrepaired DNA intermediates not properly dealt with by BER or MMR. Furthermore, crosstalk among DNArepair pathways and S-phase checkpoint signaling has not been examined. Ongoing efforts aim to design approaches and reagents that (i) approximate repair capacity and (ii) mediate strategic regulation of DNArepair in order to improve the efficacy of current anti-cancer treatments. PMID:18979208

A critical link exists between an individual's ability to repair cellular DNA damage and cancer development, progression and response to therapy. Knowledge gained regarding the proteins involved and types of damage repaired by the individual DNArepair pathways has led to the development of a variety of assays aimed at determining an individual's DNArepair capacity. These assays and their use in the analysis of clinical samples has yielded useful though somewhat conflicting data. In this review article, we discuss the major DNArepair pathways, the proteins and genes required for each, assays used to assess activity and the relevant clinical studies to date. With the recent results from clinical trials targeting specific DNArepair proteins for the treatment of cancer, accurate, reproducible and relevant analysis of DNArepair takes on an even greater significance. We highlight the strengths and limitations of these DNArepair studies and assays with respect to the clinical assessment of DNArepair capacity to determine cancer development and response to therapy. PMID:21908578

DNArepair defends against naturally occurring or disease-associated DNA damage during the long lifespan of neurons and is implicated in polyglutamine disease pathology. In this study, we report that mutant huntingtin (Htt) expression in neurons causes double-strand breaks (DSBs) of genomic DNA, and Htt further promotes DSBs by impairing DNArepair. We identify Ku70, a component of the DNA damage repair complex, as a mediator of the DNArepair dysfunction in mutant Htt–expressing neurons. Mutant Htt interacts with Ku70, impairs DNA-dependent protein kinase function in nonhomologous end joining, and consequently increases DSB accumulation. Expression of exogenous Ku70 rescues abnormal behavior and pathological phenotypes in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease (HD). These results collectively suggest that Ku70 is a critical regulator of DNA damage in HD pathology. PMID:20439996

Summary: From microbes to multicellular eukaryotic organisms, all cells contain pathways responsible for genome maintenance. DNA replication allows for the faithful duplication of the genome, whereas DNArepair pathways preserve DNA integrity in response to damage originating from endogenous and exogenous sources. The basic pathways important for DNA replication and repair are often conserved throughout biology. In bacteria, high-fidelity repair is balanced with low-fidelity repair and mutagenesis. Such a balance is important for maintaining viability while providing an opportunity for the advantageous selection of mutations when faced with a changing environment. Over the last decade, studies of DNArepair pathways in bacteria have demonstrated considerable differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Here we review and discuss the DNArepair, genome maintenance, and DNA damage checkpoint pathways of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We present their molecular mechanisms and compare the functions and regulation of several pathways with known information on other organisms. We also discuss DNArepair during different growth phases and the developmental program of sporulation. In summary, we present a review of the function, regulation, and molecular mechanisms of DNArepair and mutagenesis in Gram-positive bacteria, with a strong emphasis on B. subtilis. PMID:22933559

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are gene targeting tools that can bind in the major groove of duplex DNA in a sequence-specific manner. When bound to DNA, TFOs can inhibit gene expression, can position DNA-reactive agents to specific locations in the genome, or can induce targeted mutagenesis and recombination. There is evidence that third strand binding, alone or with an associated cross-link, is recognized and metabolized by DNArepair factors, particularly the nucleotide excision repair pathway. This review examines the evidence for DNArepair of triplex-associated lesions. PMID:19072762

Many components of the cell, including lipids, proteins and both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, are vulnerable to deleterious modifications caused by reactive oxygen species. If not repaired, oxidative DNA damage can lead to disease-causing mutations, such as in cancer. Base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair are the two DNArepair pathways believed to orchestrate the removal of oxidative lesions. However, recent findings suggest that the mismatch repair pathway may also be important for the response to oxidative DNA damage. This is particularly relevant in cancer where mismatch repair genes are frequently mutated or epigenetically silenced. In this review we explore how the regulation of oxidative DNA damage by mismatch repair proteins may impact on carcinogenesis. We discuss recent studies that identify potential new treatments for mismatch repair deficient tumours, which exploit this non-canonical role of mismatch repair using synthetic lethal targeting. PMID:25099886

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal and a potent carcinogen implicated in tumor development through occupational and environmental exposure. Recent evidence suggests that proteins participating in the DNArepair systems, especially in excision and mismatch repair, are sensitive targets of Cd toxicity. Cd by interfering and inhibiting these DNArepair processes might contribute to increased risk for tumor formation in humans. In the present review, the information available on the interference of Cd with DNArepair systems and their inhibition is summarized. These actions could possibly explain the indirect contribution of Cd to mutagenic effects and/or carcinogenicity.

Maintenance of genomic integrity and stable transmission of genetic information depend on a number of DNArepair processes. Failure to faithfully perform these processes can result in genetic alterations and subsequent development of cancer and other genetic diseases. In the eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, homologous recombination is the major pathway for repairingDNA double-strand breaks. The key role played by Rad52 in this pathway has been attributed to its ability to seek out and mediate annealing of homologous DNA strands. In this study, we find that S. cerevisiae Rad52 fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) is fully functional in DNArepair and recombination. After induction of DNA double-strand breaks by γ-irradiation, meiosis, or the HO endonuclease, Rad52-GFP relocalizes from a diffuse nuclear distribution to distinct foci. Interestingly, Rad52 foci are formed almost exclusively during the S phase of mitotic cells, consistent with coordination between recombinational repair and DNA replication. This notion is further strengthened by the dramatic increase in the frequency of Rad52 focus formation observed in a pol12-100 replication mutant and a mec1 DNA damage checkpoint mutant. Furthermore, our data indicate that each Rad52 focus represents a center of recombinational repair capable of processing multiple DNA lesions. PMID:11459964

A new study shows that during repair of DNA, the effect of a single-strand annealing protein is to destabilize DNA duplex formation so that annealing only occurs between perfectly matched strands; the protein then clamps the strands together for repair. Read the Research Article. PMID:26271078

Self-repairing structural systems have the potential for improved performance ranges and lifetimes over conventional systems. Self-healing materials are not a new phenomenon and have been used in automotive and aeronautical applications for over a century. The bulk of these systems operate by using damage to directly initiate a repair response without any supervisory coordination. Integrating sensing and supervisory control technologies with self-healing may improve the safety and reliability of critical components and structures. This project illustrates the benefit of an integrated sensing, control, and self-healing system using laboratory scale test beds. A thermoplastic polymer embedded with resistive heating wires acts as the self-healing material. Damage is detected using an electro-optical sensing scheme based on photoresistors and a PC handling control duties. As damage occurs it is detected, located, and characterized. The key to this project is the integration of sensor feedback to control healing so that repairs are executed, monitored, and completed on the basis of continuous sensor data. This proof-of-concept prototype can likely be expanded and improved with alternative sensor options, self-healing materials, and system architecture.

The integrity of DNA molecules is constantly challenged. All organisms have developed mechanisms to detect and repair multiple types of DNA lesions. The basic principles of DNA damage repair (DDR) in prokaryotes and unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes are similar, but the association of DNA with nucleosomes in eukaryotic chromatin requires mechanisms that allow access of repair enzymes to the lesions. This is achieved by chromatin-remodeling factors, and their necessity for efficient DDR has recently been demonstrated for several organisms and repair pathways. Plants share many features of chromatin organization and DNArepair with fungi and animals, but they differ in other, important details, which are both interesting and relevant for our understanding of genome stability and genetic diversity. In this Update, we compare the knowledge of the role of chromatin and chromatin-modifying factors during DDR in plants with equivalent systems in yeast and humans. We emphasize plant-specific elements and discuss possible implications. PMID:26089404

The integrity of DNA molecules is constantly challenged. All organisms have developed mechanisms to detect and repair multiple types of DNA lesions. The basic principles of DNA damage repair (DDR) in prokaryotes and unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes are similar, but the association of DNA with nucleosomes in eukaryotic chromatin requires mechanisms that allow access of repair enzymes to the lesions. This is achieved by chromatin-remodeling factors, and their necessity for efficient DDR has recently been demonstrated for several organisms and repair pathways. Plants share many features of chromatin organization and DNArepair with fungi and animals, but they differ in other, important details, which are both interesting and relevant for our understanding of genome stability and genetic diversity. In this Update, we compare the knowledge of the role of chromatin and chromatin-modifying factors during DDR in plants with equivalent systems in yeast and humans. We emphasize plant-specific elements and discuss possible implications. PMID:26089404

In recent years, the understanding of how DNArepair contributes to the development of innate and acquired immunity has emerged. The DNA damage incurred during the inflammatory response triggers the activation of DNArepair pathways, which are required for host-cell survival. Here, we reviewed current understanding of the mechanism by which DNArepair contributes to protection against the oxidized DNA damage generated during infectious and inflammatory diseases and its involvement in innate and adaptive immunity. We discussed the functional role of DNArepair enzymes in the immune activation and the relevance of these processes to: transcriptional regulation of cytokines and other genes involved in the inflammatory response; V(D)J recombination; class-switch recombination (CSR); and somatic hypermutation (SHM). These three last processes of DNA damage repair are required for effective humoral adaptive immunity, creating genetic diversity in developing T and B cells. Furthermore, viral replication is also dependent on host DNArepair mechanisms. Therefore, the elucidation of the pathways of DNA damage and its repair that activate innate and adaptive immunity will be important for a better understanding of the immune and inflammatory disorders and developing new therapeutic interventions for treatment of these diseases and for improving their outcome. PMID:25795123

In Bacillus subtilis, DNArepair and recombination are intimately associated with competence, the physiological state in which the bacterium can bind, take up and recombine exogenous DNA. Previously, we have shown that the homologous DNA transformation rate (ratio of transformants to total cells) increases with increasing UV dosage if cells are transformed after exposure to UV radiation (UV-DNA), whereas the transformation rate decreases if cells are transformed before exposure to UV (DNA-UV). In this report, by using different DNArepair-deficient mutants, we show that the greater increase in transformation rate in UV-DNA experiments than in DNA-UV experiments does not depend upon excision repair or inducible SOS-like repair, although certain quantitative aspects of the response do depend upon these repair systems. We also show that there is no increase in the transformation rate in a UV-DNA experiment when repair and recombination proficient cells are transformed with nonhomologous plasmid DNA, although the results in a DNA-UV experiment are essentially unchanged by using plasmid DNA. We have used din operon fusions as a sensitive means of assaying for the expression of genes under the control of the SOS-like regulon in both competent and noncompetent cell subpopulations as a consequence of competence development and our subsequent experimental treatments. Results indicate that the SOS-like system is induced in both competent and noncompetent subpopulations in our treatments and so should not be a major factor in the differential response in transformation rate observed in UV-DNA and DNA-UV treatments. These results provide further support to the hypothesis that the evolutionary function of competence is to bring DNA into the cell for use as template in the repair of DNA damage.

Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is under constant threat from endogenous and exogenous DNA damaging agents. Mammalian cells have evolved highly conserved DNArepair machinery to process DNA damage and maintain genomic integrity. Impaired DNArepair is a major driver for carcinogenesis and could promote aggressive cancer biology. Interestingly, in established tumors, DNArepair activity is required to counteract oxidative DNA damage that is prevalent in the tumor microenvironment. Emerging clinical data provide compelling evidence that overexpression of DNArepair factors may have prognostic and predictive significance in patients. More recently, DNArepair inhibition has emerged as a promising target for anticancer therapy. Synthetic lethality exploits intergene relationships where the loss of function of either of two related genes is nonlethal, but loss of both causes cell death. Exploiting this approach by targeting DNArepair has emerged as a promising strategy for personalized cancer therapy. In the current review, we focus on recent advances with a particular focus on synthetic lethality targeting in cancer. PMID:24600246

Nrf2 is a redox sensitive transcription factor that is involved in the co-ordinated transcription of genes involved in redox homeostasis. But the role of Nrf2 in DNArepair is not investigated in detail. We have employed A549 and MCF7 cells to study the role of Nrf2 on DNArepair by inhibiting Nrf2 using all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or by knock down approach prior to radiation exposure (4 Gy). DNA damage and repair analysis was studied by γH2AX foci formation and comet assay. Results suggested that the inhibition of Nrf2 in A549 or MCF7 cells led to significant slowdown in DNArepair as compared to respective radiation controls. The persistence of residual DNA damage even in the presence of free radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine, suggested that the influence of Nrf2 on DNArepair was not linked to its antioxidant functions. Further, its influence on non-homologous end joining repair pathway was studied by inhibiting both Nrf2 and DNA-PK together. This led to synergistic reduction of survival fraction, indicating that Nrf2 may not be influencing the NHEJ pathway. To investigate the role of homologous recombination repair (HR) pathway, RAD51 foci formation was monitored. There was a significant reduction in the foci formation in cells treated with ATRA or shRNA against Nrf2 as compared to their respective radiation controls. Further, Nrf2 inhibition led to significant reduction in mRNA levels of RAD51. BLAST analysis was also performed on upstream regions of DNArepair genes to identify antioxidant response element and found that many repair genes that are involved in HR pathway may be regulated by Nrf2. Together, these results suggest the involvement of Nrf2 in DNArepair, a hitherto unknown function of Nrf2, putatively through its influence on HR pathway. PMID:26133502

Human cells have numerous repair mechanisms to counteract various insults incurred on the DNA. Any mutation in these repair mechanisms can lead to accumulation of DNA errors and carcinogenesis. This review aims to discuss the therapeutic options in the two most common DNArepair deficient cancer syndromes, namely Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer) and breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) associated ovarian and breast cancer. Deficiency in DNArepair mechanisms renders these tumors with increased sensitivity to platinum agents. There has been increasing amount of information on the utility of the defects in DNArepair as targets for cancer therapy in these syndromes. Novel therapies like poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are one of such example where the induction of double stranded breaks in DNA leads to tumoricidal effect in patients with homologous DNArepair deficiency. Interestingly, patients with DNArepair deficiencies tend to have a more favorable prognosis than sporadic malignancies. In microsatellite high colorectal cancer patients, this has been attributed to increased recruitment of CD8+ T lymphocytes in tumor microenvironment. However, these tumors are able to limit the host immune response by activation of immune checkpoints that seem like attractive targets of therapy in the future. PMID:26873719

You probably weren't thinking about your body's cellular DNArepair systems the last time you sat on the beach in the bright sunshine. Fortunately, however, while you were subjecting your DNA to the harmful effects of ultraviolet light, your cells were busy repairing the damage. The idea that our genetic material could be damaged by the sun was not appreciated in the early days of molecular biology. When Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA in 1953 [1], it was assumed that DNA is fundamentally stable since it carries the blueprint of life. However, over 50 years of research have revealed that our DNA is under constant assault by sunlight, oxygen, radiation, various chemicals, and even our own cellular processes. Cleverly, evolution has provided our cells with a diverse set of tools to repair the damage that Mother Nature causes. DNArepair processes restore the normal nucleotide sequence and DNA structure of the genome after damage [2]. These responses are highly varied and exquisitely regulated. DNArepair mechanisms are traditionally characterized by the type of damage repaired. A large variety of chemical modifications can alter normal DNA bases and either lead to mutations or block transcription if not repaired, and three distinct pathways exist to remove base damage. Base excision repair (BER) corrects DNA base alterations that do not distort the overall structure of the DNA helix such as bases damaged by oxidation resulting from normal cellular metabolism. While BER removes single damaged bases, nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes short segments of nucleotides (called oligonucleotides) containing damaged bases. NER responds to any alteration that distorts the DNA helix and is the mechanism responsible for repairing bulky base damage caused by carcinogenic chemicals such as benzo [a]pyrene (found in cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust) as well as covalent linkages between adjacent pyrimidine bases resulting from the ultraviolet (UV

Interstrand DNA crosslinks (ICLs) are the link between Watson-Crick strands of DNAs with the covalent bond and prevent separation of DNA strands. Since the ICL lesion affects both strands of the DNA, the ICL repair is not simple. So far, nucleotide excision repair (NER), structure-specific endonucleases, translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), homologous recombination (HR), and factors responsible for Fanconi anemia (FA) are identified to be involved in ICL repair. Since the presence of ICL lesions causes severe defects in transcription and DNA replication, mutations in these DNArepair pathways give rise to a various hereditary disorders. NER plays an important role for the ICL recognition and removal in quiescent cells, and defects of NER causes congential progeria syndrome, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne syndrome, and trichothiodystrophy. On the other hand, the ICL repair in S phase requires more complicated orchestration of multiple factors, including structure-specific endonucleases, and TLS, and HR. Disturbed this ICL repair orchestration in S phase causes genome instability resulting a cancer prone disease, Fanconi anemia. So far more than 30 factors in ICL repair have already identified. Recently, a new factor, UHRF1, was discovered as a sensor of ICLs. In addition to this, numbers of nucleases that are involved in the first incision, also called unhooking, of ICL lesions have also been identified. Here we summarize the recent studies of ICL associated disorders and repair mechanism, with emphasis in the first incision of ICLs. PMID:27350828

Among DNA damages, double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most harmful lesions to a cell. Failure in DSB repair could lead to genomic instability and cancer. Homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) are major DSB repair pathways in higher eukaryotes. It is known that expression of DSB repair genes is altered in various cancers. Activation of DSB repair genes is one of the reasons for chemo- and radioresistance. Therefore, targeting DSB repair is an attractive strategy to eliminate cancer. Besides, therapeutic agents introduce breaks in the genome as an intermediate. Therefore, blocking the residual repair using inhibitors can potentiate the efficacy of cancer treatment. In this review, we discuss the importance of targeting DSB repair pathways for the treatment of cancer. Recent advances in the development of DSB repair inhibitors and their clinical relevance are also addressed. PMID:25579208

Unrepaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) cause genetic instability that leads to malignant transformation or cell death. Cells respond to DSBs with the ordered recruitment of signaling and repair proteins to the sites of DNA lesions. Coordinated protein SUMOylation and ubiquitylation have crucial roles in regulating the dynamic assembly of protein complexes at these sites. However, how SUMOylation influences protein ubiquitylation at DSBs is poorly understood. We show herein that Rnf4, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets SUMO-modified proteins, accumulates in DSB repair foci and is required for both homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining repair. To establish a link between Rnf4 and the DNA damage response (DDR) in vivo, we generated an Rnf4 allelic series in mice. We show that Rnf4-deficiency causes persistent ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage and signaling, and that Rnf4-deficient cells and mice exhibit increased sensitivity to genotoxic stress. Mechanistically, we show that Rnf4 targets SUMOylated MDC1 and SUMOylated BRCA1, and is required for the loading of Rad51, an enzyme required for HR repair, onto sites of DNA damage. Similarly to inactivating mutations in other key regulators of HR repair, Rnf4 deficiency leads to age-dependent impairment in spermatogenesis. These findings identify Rnf4 as a critical component of the DDR in vivo and support the possibility that Rnf4 controls protein localization at DNA damage sites by integrating SUMOylation and ubiquitylation events. PMID:23197296

Mammalian cells evolve a delicate system, the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, to monitor genomic integrity and to prevent the damage from both endogenous end exogenous insults. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrant DDR and deficient DNArepair are strongly associated with cancer and aging. Our understanding of the core program of DDR has made tremendous progress in the past two decades. However, the long list of the molecules involved in the DDR and DNArepair continues to grow and the roles of the new "dots" are under intensive investigation. Here, we review the connection between DDR and DNArepair and aging and discuss the potential mechanisms by which deficient DNArepair triggers systemic effects to promote physiological or pathological aging. PMID:27164092

Mammalian cells evolve a delicate system, the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, to monitor genomic integrity and to prevent the damage from both endogenous end exogenous insults. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrant DDR and deficient DNArepair are strongly associated with cancer and aging. Our understanding of the core program of DDR has made tremendous progress in the past two decades. However, the long list of the molecules involved in the DDR and DNArepair continues to grow and the roles of the new “dots” are under intensive investigation. Here, we review the connection between DDR and DNArepair and aging and discuss the potential mechanisms by which deficient DNArepair triggers systemic effects to promote physiological or pathological aging. PMID:27164092

The p300-mediated acetylation of enzymes involved in DNArepair and replication has been previously shown to stimulate or inhibit their activities in reconstituted systems. To explore the role of acetylation on DNArepair in cells we constructed plasmid substrates carrying inactivating damages in the EGFP reporter gene, which should be repaired in cells through DNA mismatch repair (MMR) or base excision repair (BER) mechanisms. We analyzed efficiency of repair within these plasmid substrates in cells exposed to deacetylase and acetyltransferase inhibitors, and also in cells deficient in p300 acetyltransferase. Our results indicate that protein acetylation improves DNA mismatch repair in MMR-proficient HeLa cells and also in MMR-deficient HCT116 cells. Moreover, results suggest that stimulated repair of mismatches in MMR-deficient HCT116 cells is done though a strand-displacement synthesis mechanism described previously for Okazaki fragments maturation and also for the EXOI-independent pathway of MMR. Loss of p300 reduced repair of mismatches in MMR-deficient cells, but did not have evident effects on BER mechanisms, including the long patch BER pathway. Hypoacetylation of the cells in the presence of acetyltransferase inhibitor, garcinol generally reduced efficiency of BER of 8-oxoG damage, indicating that some steps in the pathway are stimulated by acetylation. PMID:27104361

DNArepair must take place in the context of chromatin, and chromatin modifications and DNArepair are intimately linked. The study of double-strand break repair has revealed numerous histone modifications that occur after induction of a DSB, and modification of the repair factors themselves can also occur. In some cases the function of the modification is at least partially understood, but in many cases it is not yet clear. Although DSB repair is a crucial activity for cell survival, DSBs account for only a small percentage of the DNA lesions that occur over the lifetime of a cell. Repair of single-strand gaps, nicks, stalled forks, alternative DNA structures, and base lesions must also occur in a chromatin context. There is increasing evidence that these repair pathways are also regulated by histone modifications and chromatin remodeling. In this review, we will summarize the current state of knowledge of chromatin modifications that occur during non-DSB repair, highlighting similarities and differences to DSB repair as well as remaining questions. PMID:25250043

DNArepair was studied as a function of age in cells isolated from both the liver and the kidney of male Fischer F344 rats. DNArepair was measured by quantifying unscheduled DNA synthesis induced by UV irradiation. Unscheduled DNA synthesis decreased approximately 50% between the ages of 5 and 30 months in both hepatocytes and kidney cells. The age-related decline in unscheduled DNA synthesis in cells isolated from the liver and kidney was compared in rats fed ad libitum and rats fed a calorie-restricted diet; calorie restriction has been shown to increase the survival of rodents. The level of unscheduled DNA synthesis was significantly higher in hepatocytes and kidney cells isolated from the rats fed the restricted diet. Thus, calorie restriction appears to retard the age-related decline in DNArepair.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a fascinating, rare genetic disorder marked by congenital defects, bone marrow failure, and cancer susceptibility. Research in recent years has led to the elucidation of FA as a DNArepair disorder and involved multiple pathways as well as having wide applicability to common cancers, including breast, ovarian, and head and neck. This review will describe the clinical aspects of FA as well as the current state of its molecular pathophysiology. In particular, work from the Kupfer laboratory will be described that demonstrates how the FA pathway interacts with multiple DNArepair pathways, including the mismatch repair system and signal transduction pathway of the DNA damage response. PMID:24348213

Diverse mobile DNA elements are believed to pirate host cell enzymes to complete DNA transfer. Prominent examples are provided by retroviral cDNA integration and transposon insertion. These reactions initially involve the attachment of each element 3' DNA end to staggered sites in the host DNA by element-encoded integrase or transposase enzymes. Unfolding of such intermediates yields DNA gaps at each junction. It has been widely assumed that host DNArepair enzymes complete attachment of the remaining DNA ends, but the enzymes involved have not been identified for any system. We have synthesized DNA substrates containing the expected gap and 5' two-base flap structure present in retroviral integration intermediates and tested candidate enzymes for the ability to support repair in vitro. We find three required activities, two of which can be satisfied by multiple enzymes. These are a polymerase (polymerase beta, polymerase delta and its cofactor PCNA, or reverse transcriptase), a nuclease (flap endonuclease), and a ligase (ligase I, III, or IV and its cofactor XRCC4). A proposed pathway involving retroviral integrase and reverse transcriptase did not carry out repair under the conditions tested. In addition, prebinding of integrase protein to gapped DNA inhibited repair reactions, indicating that gap repair in vivo may require active disassembly of the integrase complex. PMID:11070016

Few other organs have the environmental exposure-neoplasia relationship that has been observed between epithelial cutaneous malignancy and UVB exposure. A significant DNA type of defective linking of DNA nucleotides involves pyrimidine dimers. Important insight into the molecular processes that affect the response of cells to UVB have been provided by the study of rare inherited diseases characterized by DNArepair defects. Nucleotide excision repair is the best characterized of these and its importance is illustrated by the disease, xeroderma pigmentosum. This heterogenous disorder clinically characterized by malignant tumor development and molecularly by distinct alterations in the nucleotide excision repair apparatus. More recently, other DNA mechanisms have been shown to have some role in skin cancer, such as DNA-mismatch repair and double-stranded DNA breaks. Herein, we discuss the DNA-repair adjuvants a aqueous extract of Urcaria tomentosa (AC-11, Optigenex, Inc.), and T4 endonuclease V that is prepared in a liposome lotion (Dimericine, Applied Genetics Inc. Dermatics). The positive effects on the integrity DNA of other substances (from nature, heat shock proteins and cytokines) including IL-12, Polypodium leucotomos, and ubiquitin are also reviewed. Understanding DNArepair mechanisms is far from complete; further understanding will provide insight into the pathogenesis of cancer and pave the way for efficacious therapeutic agents. PMID:18328204

An isolated and purified DNA molecule encoding a DNArepair protein, p95, is provided, as is isolated and purified p95. Also provided are methods of detecting p95 and DNA encoding p95. The invention further provides p95 knock-out mice.

Exposure to environmental toxicants and stressors, radiation, pharmaceutical drugs, inflammation, cellular respiration, and routine DNA metabolism all lead to the production of cytotoxic DNA strand breaks. Akin to splintered wood, DNA breaks are not "clean." Rather, DNA breaks typically lack DNA 5'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxyl moieties required for DNA synthesis and DNA ligation. Failure to resolve damage at DNA ends can lead to abnormal DNA replication and repair, and is associated with genomic instability, mutagenesis, neurological disease, ageing and carcinogenesis. An array of chemically heterogeneous DNA termini arises from spontaneously generated DNA single-strand and double-strand breaks (SSBs and DSBs), and also from normal and/or inappropriate DNA metabolism by DNA polymerases, DNA ligases and topoisomerases. As a front line of defense to these genotoxic insults, eukaryotic cells have accrued an arsenal of enzymatic first responders that bind and protect damaged DNA termini, and enzymatically tailor DNA ends for DNArepair synthesis and ligation. These nucleic acid transactions employ direct damage reversal enzymes including Aprataxin (APTX), Polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (PNK), the tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterases (TDP1 and TDP2), the Ku70/80 complex and DNA polymerase β (POLβ). Nucleolytic processing enzymes such as the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1/CtIP complex, Flap endonuclease (FEN1) and the apurinic endonucleases (APE1 and APE2) also act in the chemical "cleansing" of DNA breaks to prevent genomic instability and disease, and promote progression of DNA- and RNA-DNA damage response (DDR and RDDR) pathways. Here, we provide an overview of cellular first responders dedicated to the detection and repair of abnormal DNA termini. PMID:25111769

Exposure to environmental toxicants and stressors, radiation, pharmaceutical drugs, inflammation, cellular respiration, and routine DNA metabolism all lead to the production of cytotoxic DNA strand breaks. Akin to splintered wood, DNA breaks are not “clean”. Rather, DNA breaks typically lack DNA 5'-phosphate and 3'-hydroxyl moieties required for DNA synthesis and DNA ligation. Failure to resolve damage at DNA ends can lead to abnormal DNA replication and repair, and is associated with genomic instability, mutagenesis, neurological disease, ageing and carcinogenesis. An array of chemically heterogeneous DNA termini arises from spontaneously generated DNA single-strand and double-strand breaks (SSBs and DSBs), and also from normal and/or inappropriate DNA metabolism by DNA polymerases, DNA ligases and topoisomerases. As a front line of defense to these genotoxic insults, eukaryotic cells have accrued an arsenal of enzymatic first responders that bind and protect damaged DNA termini, and enzymatically tailor DNA ends for DNArepair synthesis and ligation. These nucleic acid transactions employ direct damage reversal enzymes including Aprataxin (APTX), Polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (PNK), the tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterases (TDP1 and TDP2), the Ku70/80 complex and DNA polymerase β (POLβ). Nucleolytic processing enzymes such as the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1/CtIP complex, Flap endonuclease (FEN1) and the apurinic endonucleases (APE1 and APE2) also act in the chemical "cleansing" of DNA breaks to prevent genomic instability and disease, and promote progression of DNA- and RNA-DNA damage response (DDR and RDDR) pathways. Here, we provide an overview of cellular first responders dedicated to the detection and repair of abnormal DNA termini. PMID:25111769

The survival of cultured rat kangaroo cells (PtK-2) and human xeroderma pigmentosum cells incubated with 5 ..mu..M cycloheximide subsequent to ultraviolet irradiation is lower than that of cells incubated without cycloheximide. The drop in survival is considerably larger than that produced by incubation of unirradiated cells with cycloheximide. The phenomenon was also observed when PtK-2 cells were incubated with emetine, another protein synthesis inhibitor, or with 5,6-dichloro-1-..beta..-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole, a RNA synthesis inhibitor. PtK cells which received a preliminary UV treatment followed by an incubation period without cycloheximide and then a second irradiation and 24 hour incubation with cycloheximide, survived the effects of the second irradiation better than cells which were incubated in the presence of cycloheximide after the first and second UV irradiation. The application of cycloheximide for 24 hours after UV irradiation of PtK cells resulted in one-half as many 6-thioguanine resistant cells as compared to the number of 6-thioguanine resistant cells found when cycloheximide was not used. These experiments indicate that a UV-inducible cycloheximide-sensitive DNArepair pathway is present in PtK and xeroderma pigmentosum cells, which is error-prone in PtK cells.

Repetitive genomic sequences can adopt a number of alternative DNA structures that differ from the canonical B-form duplex (i.e. non-B DNA). These non-B DNA-forming sequences have been shown to have many important biological functions related to DNA metabolic processes; for example, they may have regulatory roles in DNA transcription and replication. In addition to these regulatory functions, non-B DNA can stimulate genetic instability in the presence or absence of DNA damage, via replication-dependent and/or replication-independent pathways. This review focuses on the interactions of non-B DNA conformations with DNArepair proteins and how these interactions impact genetic instability. PMID:24767258

DNArepair sustains fidelity of genomic replication in proliferating cells and integrity of transcribed sequences in postmitotic tissues. The repair process is critical in the brain, because high oxygen consumption exacerbates the risk for accumulation of oxidative DNA lesions in postmitotic neurons. Most oxidative DNA damage is repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathway, which is initiated by specialized DNA glycosylases. Because the newly discovered Nei-like mammalian DNA glycosylases (NEIL1/2) proficiently excise oxidized bases from bubble structured DNA, it was suggested that NEILs favor repair of transcribed or replicated DNA. In addition, since NEILs generate 3'-phosphate termini, which are poor targets for AP endonuclease (APE1), it was proposed that APE1-dependent and independent BER sub-pathways exist in mammalian cells. We measured expression and activities of BER enzymes during brain ontogeny, i.e., during a physiologic transition from proliferative to postmitotic differentiated state. While a subset of BER enzymes, exhibited declining expression and excision activities, expression of NEIL1 and NEIL2 glycosylases increased during brain development. Furthermore, the capacity for excision of 5-hydroxyuracil from bubble structured DNA was retained in the mature rat brain suggesting a role for NEIL glycosylases in maintaining the integrity of transcribed DNA in postmitotic brain. PMID:16257035

DNArepair and other chromatin-associated processes are carried out by enzymatic macromolecular complexes that assemble at specific sites on the chromatin fiber. How the rate of these molecular machineries is regulated by their constituent parts is poorly understood. Here we quantify nucleotide-excision DNArepair in mammalian cells and find that, despite the pathways' molecular complexity, repair effectively obeys slow first-order kinetics. Theoretical analysis and data-based modeling indicate that these kinetics are not due to a singular rate-limiting step. Rather, first-order kinetics emerge from the interplay of rapidly and reversibly assembling repair proteins, stochastically distributing DNA lesion repair over a broad time period. Based on this mechanism, the model predicts that the repair proteins collectively control the repair rate. Exploiting natural cell-to-cell variability, we corroborate this prediction for the lesion-recognition factor XPC and the downstream factor XPA. Our findings provide a rationale for the emergence of slow time scales in chromatin-associated processes from fast molecular steps and suggest that collective rate control might be a widespread mode of robust regulation in DNArepair and transcription. PMID:24499930

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight is a major etiologic factor for skin cancer, the most prevalent cancer in the United States, as well as premature skin aging. In particular, UVB radiation causes formation of specific DNA damage photoproducts between pyrimidine bases. These DNA damage photoproducts are repaired by a process called nucleotide excision repair, also known as UV-induced DNArepair. When left unrepaired, UVB-induced DNA damage leads to accumulation of mutations, predisposing people to carcinogenesis as well as to premature aging. Genetic loss of nucleotide excision repair leads to severe disorders, namely, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), trichothiodystrophy (TTD) and Cockayne syndrome (CS), which are associated with predisposition to skin carcinogenesis at a young age as well as developmental and neurological conditions. Regulation of nucleotide excision repair is an attractive avenue to preventing or reversing these detrimental consequences of impaired nucleotide excision repair. Here, we review recent studies on molecular mechanisms regulating nucleotide excision repair by extracellular cues and intracellular signaling pathways, with a special focus on the molecular regulation of individual repair factors. PMID:25534312

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight is a major etiologic factor for skin cancer, the most prevalent cancer in the U.S., as well as premature skin aging. In particular, UVB radiation causes formation of specific DNA damage photoproducts between pyrimidine bases. These DNA damage photoproducts are repaired by a process called nucleotide excision repair, also known as UV-induced DNArepair. When left unrepaired, UVB-induced DNA damage leads to accumulation of mutations, predisposing people to carcinogenesis as well as to premature aging. Genetic loss of nucleotide excision repair leads to severe disorders, namely, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), trichothiodystrophy (TTD) and Cockayne syndrome (CS), which are associated with predisposition to skin carcinogenesis at a young age as well as developmental and neurological conditions. Regulation of nucleotide excision repair is an attractive avenue to preventing or reversing these detrimental consequences of impaired nucleotide excision repair. Here we review recent studies on molecular mechanisms regulating nucleotide excision repair by extracellular cues and intracellular signaling pathways, with a special focus on the molecular regulation of individual repair factors. PMID:25534312

Caffeine potentiates the mutagenic and lethal effects of genotoxic agents. It is thought that this is due, at least in some organisms, to inhibition of DNArepair. However, direct evidence for inhibition of repair enzymes has been lacking. Using purified Escherichia coli DNA photolyase and (A)BC excinuclease, we show that the drug inhibits photoreactivation and nucleotide excision repair by two different mechanisms. Caffeine inhibits photoreactivation by interfering with the specific binding of photolyase to damaged DNA, and it inhibits nucleotide excision repair by promoting nonspecific binding of the damage-recognition subunit, UvrA, of (A)BC excinuclease. A number of other intercalators, including acriflavin and ethidium bromide, appear to inhibit the excinuclease by a similar mechanism--that is, by trapping the UvrA subunit in nonproductive complexes on undamaged DNA.

The cells in the human body are continuously challenged by a variety of genotoxic attacks. Erroneous repair of the DNA can lead to mutations and chromosomal aberrations that can alter the functions of tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes, thus causing cancer development. As a central tumor suppressor, p53 guards the genome by orchestrating a variety of DNA-damage-response (DDR) mechanisms. Already early in metazoan evolution, p53 started controlling the apoptotic demise of genomically compromised cells. p53 plays a prominent role as a facilitator of DNArepair by halting the cell cycle to allow time for the repair machineries to restore genome stability. In addition, p53 took on diverse roles to also directly impact the activity of various DNA-repair systems. It thus appears as if p53 is multitasking in providing protection from cancer development by maintaining genome stability. PMID:27048304

The rapid recognition and repair of DNA damage is essential for the maintenance of genomic integrity and cellular survival. Multiple complex and interconnected DNA damage responses exist within cells to preserve the human genome, and these repair pathways are carried out by a specifi c interplay of protein-protein interactions. Thus a failure in the coordination of these processes, perhaps brought about by a breakdown in any one multifunctional repair protein, can lead to genomic instability, developmental and immunological abnormalities, cancer and premature aging. This study demonstrates a novel interaction between two such repair proteins, Xeroderma pigmentosum group G protein (XPG) and Werner syndrome helicase (WRN), that are both highly pleiotropic and associated with inherited genetic disorders when mutated. XPG is a structure-specifi c endonuclease required for the repair of UV-damaged DNA by nucleotide excision repair (NER), and mutations in XPG result in the diseases Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Cockayne syndrome (CS). A loss of XPG incision activity results in XP, whereas a loss of non-enzymatic function(s) of XPG causes CS. WRN is a multifunctional protein involved in double-strand break repair (DSBR), and consists of 3’–5’ DNA-dependent helicase, 3’–5’ exonuclease, and single-strand DNA annealing activities. Nonfunctional WRN protein leads to Werner syndrome, a premature aging disorder with increased cancer incidence. Far Western analysis was used to map the interacting domains between XPG and WRN by denaturing gel electrophoresis, which separated purifi ed full length and recombinant XPG and WRN deletion constructs, based primarily upon the length of each polypeptide. Specifi c interacting domains were visualized when probed with the secondary protein of interest which was then detected by traditional Western analysis using the antibody of the secondary protein. The interaction between XPG and WRN was mapped to the C-terminal region of

Mitochondria play a crucial role in a variety of cellular processes ranging from energy metabolism, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca(2+) handling to stress responses, cell survival and death. Malfunction of the organelle may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuromuscular, cancer, premature aging and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including myocardial ischemia, cardiomyopathy and heart failure (HF). Mitochondria contain their own genome organized into DNA-protein complexes, called "mitochondrial nucleoids," along with multiprotein machineries, which promote mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, transcription and repair. Although the mammalian organelle possesses almost all known nuclear DNArepair pathways, including base excision repair, mismatch repair and recombinational repair, the proximity of mtDNA to the main sites of ROS production and the lack of protective histones may result in increased susceptibility to various types of mtDNA damage. These include accumulation of mtDNA point mutations and/or deletions and decreased mtDNA copy number, which will impair mitochondrial function and finally, may lead to CVD including HF. PMID:26940911

Heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic and nickel are classified as carcinogens. Although the precise mechanism of carcinogenesis is undefined, heavy metal exposure can contribute to genetic damage by inducing double strand breaks (DSBs) as well as inhibiting critical proteins from different DNArepair pathways. Here we take advantage of two previously published culture assay systems developed to address mechanistic aspects of DNArepair to evaluate the effects of heavy metal exposures on competing DNArepair outcomes. Our results demonstrate that exposure to heavy metals significantly alters how cells repair double strand breaks. The effects observed are both specific to the particular metal and dose dependent. Low doses of NiCl2 favored resolution of DSBs through homologous recombination (HR) and single strand annealing (SSA), which were inhibited by higher NiCl2 doses. In contrast, cells exposed to arsenic trioxide preferentially repaired using the “error prone” non-homologous end joining (alt-NHEJ) while inhibiting repair by HR. In addition, we determined that low doses of nickel and cadmium contributed to an increase in mutagenic recombination-mediated by Alu elements, the most numerous family of repetitive elements in humans. Sequence verification confirmed that the majority of the genetic deletions were the result of Alu-mediated non-allelic recombination events that predominantly arose from repair by SSA. All heavy metals showed a shift in the outcomes of alt-NHEJ repair with a significant increase of non-templated sequence insertions at the DSB repair site. Our data suggest that exposure to heavy metals will alter the choice of DNArepair pathway changing the genetic outcome of DSBs repair. PMID:26966913

Malfunctioning DNArepair systems lead to cancer mutations, and cell death. XRCC1 (X-ray Repair Cross Complementing) is a human DNArepair gene that has been found to fully correct the x-ray repair defect in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutant EM9. The corresponding protein (XRCC1) encoded by this gene has been linked to a DNArepair pathway known as base excision repair, and affects the activity of DNA ligase III. Previously, an XRCC1 cDNA minigene (consisting of the uninterrupted coding sequence for XRCC1 protein followed by a decahistidine tag) was constructed and cloned into vector pET-16b for the purpose of: (1) overproduction of XRCC1 in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; and (2) to facilitate rapid purification of XRCC1 from these systems. A vector is basically a DNA carrier that allows recombinant protein to be cloned and overexpressed in host cells. In this study, XRCC1 protein was overexpressed in E. coli and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Currently, the XRCC1 minigene is being inserted into a new vector [pET-26b(+)] in hopes to increase overexpression and improve purification. Once purified XRCC1 can be crystallized for structural studies, or studied in vitro for its biological function.

A family study and a case-control study were conducted to examine the association between sub-optimal repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA damage and the development of breast cancer. A familial cluster of breast cancer was investigated in which breast cancer occurred in 4 of 6 sisters, some of whom were exposed to ionizing radiation from repeated chest fluoroscopic examinations during adolescence and early adulthood. DNArepair proficiency was measured among available family members and correlated with their history of radiation exposure. DNArepair proficiency was also measured among 16 breast cancer cases, 5 women with a family history of breast cancer and 12 controls. The results of the family study suggest an association between poor DNArepair proficiency and increased sensitivity to the carcinogenic effects of early radiation exposure on breast tissue. The case-control study showed that a significantly higher percentage of women with breast cancer (63%) and women with a family history of breast cancer (80%) had poor repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA damage than control women (17%) (P-value=0.02). Sub-optimal repair of DNA damage may be a host susceptibility factor predisposing individuals to breast cancer through increased sensitivity to carcinogenic damage from environmental exposures such as ionizing radiation.

Chemical repair may be provided by radioprotective compounds present during exposure to ionizing radiation. Considering DNA as the most sensitive target it is feasible to biochemically improve protection by enhancing DNArepair mechanisms. Protection of DNA by reducing the amount of damage (by radical scavenging and chemical repair) followed by enhanced repair of DNA will provide much improved protection and recovery. Furthermore, in cases of prolonged exposure, such as is possible in prolonged space missions, or of unexpected variations in the intensity of radiation, as is possible when encountering solar flares, it is important to provide long-acting protection, and this may be provided by antioxidants and well functioning DNArepair systems. It has also become important to provide protection from the potentially damaging action of long-lived clastogenic factors which have been found in plasma of exposed persons from Hiroshima & Nagasaki, radiation accidents, radiotherapy patients and recently in ``liquidators'' - persons involved in salvage operations at the Chernobyl reactor. The clastogenic factor, which causes chromatid breaks in non-exposed plasma, might account for late effects and is posing a potential carcinogenic hazard /1/. The enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) has been shown to eliminate the breakage factor from cultured plasma of exposed persons /2/. Several compounds have been shown to enhance DNArepair: WR-2721 /3/, nicotinamide /4/, glutathione monoester (Riklis et al., unpublished) and others. The right combination of such compounds may prove effective in providing protection from a wide range of radiation exposures over a long period of time.

DNA damage created by endogenous or exogenous genotoxic agents can exist in multiple forms, and if allowed to persist, can promote genome instability and directly lead to various human diseases, particularly cancer, neurological abnormalities, immunodeficiency and premature aging. To avoid such deleterious outcomes, cells have evolved an array of DNArepair pathways, which carry out what is typically a multiple-step process to resolve specific DNA lesions and maintain genome integrity. To fully appreciate the biological contributions of the different DNArepair systems, one must keep in mind the cellular context within they operate. For example, the human body is composed of non-dividing and dividing cell types, including, in the brain, neurons and glial cells. We describe herein the molecular mechanisms of the different DNArepair pathways, and review their roles in non-dividing and dividing cells, with an eye towards how these pathways may regulate the development of neurological disease. PMID:23684800

Understanding the molecular and cellular origins of sunlight-induced skin cancers in man requires knowledge of the damages inflicted on human skin during sunlight exposure, as well as the ability of cells in skin to repair or circumvent such damage. Although repair has been studied extensively in procaryotic and eucaryotic cells - including human cells in culture - there are important differences between repair by human skin cells in culture and human skin in situ: quantitative differences in rates of repair, as well as qualitative differences, including the presence or absence of repair mechanisms. Quantitation of DNA damage and repair in human skin required the development of new approaches for measuring damage at low levels in nanogram quantities of non-radioactive DNA. The method allows for analysis of multiple samples and the resulting data should be related to behavior of the DNA molecules by analytic expressions. Furthermore, it should be possible to assay a variety of lesions using the same methodology. The development of new analysis methods, new technology, and new biochemical probes for the study of DNA damage and repair are described. 28 refs., 4 figs.

The DNA ligase D (LigD) 3{prime}-phosphoesterase (PE) module is a conserved component of the bacterial nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) apparatus that performs 3{prime} end-healing reactions at DNA double-strand breaks. Here we report the 1.9 {angstrom} crystal structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PE, which reveals that PE exemplifies a unique class of DNArepair enzyme. PE has a distinctive fold in which an eight stranded {beta} barrel with a hydrophobic interior supports a crescent-shaped hydrophilic active site on its outer surface. Six essential side chains coordinate manganese and a sulfate mimetic of the scissile phosphate. The PE active site and mechanism are unique vis a vis other end-healing enzymes. We find PE homologs in archaeal and eukaryal proteomes, signifying that PEs comprise a DNArepair superfamily.

Recombinational DNArepair is a universal aspect of DNA metabolism and is essential for genomic integrity. It is a template-directed process that uses a second chromosomal copy (sister, daughter, or homolog) to ensure proper repair of broken chromosomes. The key steps of recombination are conserved from phage through human, and an overview of those steps is provided in this review. The first step is resection by helicases and nucleases to produce single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that defines the homologous locus. The ssDNA is a scaffold for assembly of the RecA/RAD51 filament, which promotes the homology search. On finding homology, the nucleoprotein filament catalyzes exchange of DNA strands to form a joint molecule. Recombination is controlled by regulating the fate of both RecA/RAD51 filaments and DNA pairing intermediates. Finally, intermediates that mature into Holliday structures are disjoined by either nucleolytic resolution or topological dissolution. PMID:26525148

This article aims to explain the current state of DNARepair studies' global geography by focusing on the genesis of the community. Bibliometric data is used to localize scientific activities related to DNARepair at the city level. The keyword "DNARepair" was introduced first by American scientists. It started to spread after 1964 that is to say, after P. Howard-Flanders (Yale University), P. Hanawalt (Stanford University) and R. Setlow (Oak Ridge Laboratories) found evidence for Excision Repair mechanisms. It was the first stage in the emergence of an autonomous scientific community. In this article, we will try to assess to what extent the geo-history of this scientific field is determinant in understanding its current geography. In order to do so, we will localize the places where the first "DNARepair" publications were signed fifty years ago and the following spatial diffusion process, which led to the current geography of the field. Then, we will focus on the evolution of the research activity of "early entrants" in relation to the activity of "latecomers". This article is an opportunity to share with DNARepair scientists some research results of a dynamic field in Science studies: spatial scientometrics. PMID:23669398

Planar in vitro models have been invaluable tools to identify the mechanical basis of wound closure. Although these models may recapitulate closure dynamics of epithelial cell sheets, they fail to capture how a wounded fibrous tissue rebuilds its 3D architecture. Here we develop a 3D biomimetic model for soft tissue repair and demonstrate that fibroblasts ensconced in a collagen matrix rapidly close microsurgically induced defects within 24 h. Traction force microscopy and time-lapse imaging reveal that closure of gaps begins with contractility-mediated whole-tissue deformations. Subsequently, tangentially migrating fibroblasts along the wound edge tow and assemble a progressively thickening fibronectin template inside the gap that provide the substrate for cells to complete closure. Unlike previously reported mechanisms based on lamellipodial protrusions and purse-string contraction, our data reveal a mode of stromal closure in which coordination of tissue-scale deformations, matrix assembly and cell migration act together to restore 3D tissue architecture. PMID:26980715

Planar in vitro models have been invaluable tools to identify the mechanical basis of wound closure. Although these models may recapitulate closure dynamics of epithelial cell sheets, they fail to capture how a wounded fibrous tissue rebuilds its 3D architecture. Here we develop a 3D biomimetic model for soft tissue repair and demonstrate that fibroblasts ensconced in a collagen matrix rapidly close microsurgically induced defects within 24 h. Traction force microscopy and time-lapse imaging reveal that closure of gaps begins with contractility-mediated whole-tissue deformations. Subsequently, tangentially migrating fibroblasts along the wound edge tow and assemble a progressively thickening fibronectin template inside the gap that provide the substrate for cells to complete closure. Unlike previously reported mechanisms based on lamellipodial protrusions and purse-string contraction, our data reveal a mode of stromal closure in which coordination of tissue-scale deformations, matrix assembly and cell migration act together to restore 3D tissue architecture. PMID:26980715

Double strand breaks (DSBs) induced by radiotherapy are highly cytotoxic lesions, leading to chromosomal aberrations and cell death. Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)-dependent DNA-damage response, non-homologous end joining, and homologous recombination pathways coordinately contribute to repairing DSBs in higher eukaryotes. It is known that the expression of DSB repair genes is increased in tumors, which is one of the main reasons for radioresistance. The inhibition of DSB repair pathways may be useful to increase tumor cell radiosensitivity and may target stem cell-like cancer cells, known to be the most radioresistant tumor components. Commonly overexpressed in neoplastic cells, cytokines confer radioresistance by promoting proliferation, survival, invasion, and angiogenesis. Unfortunately, tumor irradiation increases the expression of various cytokines displaying these effects, including transforming growth factor-beta and interleukin-6. Recently, the capabilities of these cytokines to support DNArepair pathways and the ATM-dependent DNA response have been demonstrated. Thrombopoietin, essential for megakaryopoiesis and very important for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) homeostasis, has also been found to promote DNArepair in a highly selective manner. These findings reveal a novel mechanism underlying cytokine-related radioresistance, which may be clinically relevant. Therapies targeting specific cytokines may be used to improve radiosensitivity. Specific inhibitors may be chosen in consideration of different tumor microenvironments. Thrombopoietin may be useful in fending off irradiation-induced loss of HSCs. PMID:27500125

Double strand breaks (DSBs) induced by radiotherapy are highly cytotoxic lesions, leading to chromosomal aberrations and cell death. Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)-dependent DNA-damage response, non-homologous end joining, and homologous recombination pathways coordinately contribute to repairing DSBs in higher eukaryotes. It is known that the expression of DSB repair genes is increased in tumors, which is one of the main reasons for radioresistance. The inhibition of DSB repair pathways may be useful to increase tumor cell radiosensitivity and may target stem cell-like cancer cells, known to be the most radioresistant tumor components. Commonly overexpressed in neoplastic cells, cytokines confer radioresistance by promoting proliferation, survival, invasion, and angiogenesis. Unfortunately, tumor irradiation increases the expression of various cytokines displaying these effects, including transforming growth factor-beta and interleukin-6. Recently, the capabilities of these cytokines to support DNArepair pathways and the ATM-dependent DNA response have been demonstrated. Thrombopoietin, essential for megakaryopoiesis and very important for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) homeostasis, has also been found to promote DNArepair in a highly selective manner. These findings reveal a novel mechanism underlying cytokine-related radioresistance, which may be clinically relevant. Therapies targeting specific cytokines may be used to improve radiosensitivity. Specific inhibitors may be chosen in consideration of different tumor microenvironments. Thrombopoietin may be useful in fending off irradiation-induced loss of HSCs. PMID:27500125

DNA is subject to many endogenous and exogenous insults that impair DNA replication and proper chromosome segregation. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are one of the most toxic of these lesions and must be repaired to preserve chromosomal integrity. Eukaryotes are equipped with several different, but related, repair mechanisms involving homologous recombination, including single-strand annealing, gene conversion, and break-induced replication. In this review, we highlight the chief sources of DSBs and crucial requirements for each of these repair processes, as well as the methods to identify and study intermediate steps in DSB repair by homologous recombination. PMID:25104768

Most human tumors accumulate a multitude of genetic changes due to defects in the DNA damage response. Recently, small-molecule inhibitors have been developed that target cells with specific DNArepair defects, providing hope for precision treatment of such tumors. Here we discuss the rationale behind these therapies and how an important bottleneck-patient selection-can be approached. PMID:27418635

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are implicated in a broad range of human diseases and in aging. Compared to nuclear DNA, mtDNA is more highly exposed to oxidative damage due to its proximity to the respiratory chain and the lack of protection afforded by chromatin-associated proteins. While repair of oxidative damage to the bases in mtDNA through the base excision repair pathway has been well studied, the repair of oxidatively induced strand breaks in mtDNA has been less thoroughly examined. Polynucleotide kinase/phosphatase (PNKP) processes strand-break termini to render them chemically compatible for the subsequent action of DNA polymerases and ligases. Here, we demonstrate that functionally active full-length PNKP is present in mitochondria as well as nuclei. Downregulation of PNKP results in an accumulation of strand breaks in mtDNA of hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. Full restoration of repair of the H2O2-induced strand breaks in mitochondria requires both the kinase and phosphatase activities of PNKP. We also demonstrate that PNKP contains a mitochondrial-targeting signal close to the C-terminus of the protein. We further show that PNKP associates with the mitochondrial protein mitofilin. Interaction with mitofilin may serve to translocate PNKP into mitochondria. PMID:22210862

Interstrand DNA crosslinks (ICLs) are formed by natural products of metabolism and by chemotherapeutic reagents. Work in E. coli identified a two cycle repair scheme involving incisions on one strand on either side of the ICL (unhooking) producing a gapped intermediate with the incised oligonucleotide attached to the intact strand. The gap is filled by recombinational repair or lesion bypass synthesis. The remaining monoadduct is then removed by Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER). Despite considerable effort, our understanding of each step in mammalian cells is still quite limited. In part this reflects the variety of crosslinking compounds, each with distinct structural features, used by different investigators. Also, multiple repair pathways are involved, variably operative during the cell cycle. G1 phase repair requires functions from NER, although the mechanism of recognition has not been determined. Repair can be initiated by encounters with the transcriptional apparatus, or a replication fork. In the case of the latter, the reconstruction of a replication fork, stalled or broken by collision with an ICL, adds to the complexity of the repair process. The enzymology of unhooking, the identity of the lesion bypass polymerases required to fill the first repair gap, and the functions involved in the second repair cycle are all subjects of active inquiry. Here we will review current understanding of each step in ICL repair in mammalian cells. PMID:20039786

A method for measuring DNA excision repair in response to ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced DNA damage has been developed, validated, and field-tested in cultured human lymphocytes. The methodology is amenable to population-based screening and should facilitate future epidemiologic studies seeking to investigate associations between excision repair proficiency and cancer susceptibility. The impetus for such endeavors derives from the belief that the high incidence of skin cancer in the genetic disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) primarily is a result of the reduced capacity of patients cells to repair UV-induced DNA damage. For assay, UV-irradiated non-replicating recombinant plasmid DNA harboring a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) indicator gene is introduced into lymphocytes using DEAE-dextran short-term transfection conditions. Exposure to UV induces transcriptionally-inactivating DNA photoproducts in the plasmid DNA which inactivate CAT gene expression. Excision repair of the damaged CAT gene is monitored indirectly as a function of reactivated CAT enzyme activity following a 40 hour repair/expression incubation period.

For many years organismal aging and cancer were viewed as separate entities. Recent studies however have suggested that these two seemingly disparate biological processes may in fact share common biochemical pathways. One area of emerging convergence involves the intersection of pathways known to mediate DNArepair with pathways previously implicated in insulin signaling. Recent evidence suggests that the sirtuin family of proteins act as central mediators of this molecular crosstalk. The coordination of DNArepair with overall energy balance may be essential for reducing the risk of developing cancer as well as for determining the rate at which we age. This review will summarize our current knowledge on how the maintenance of genomic integrity and insulin signaling intersect, the potential regulation of sirtuins in this crosstalk, and how this coordinated regulation may have important implication for both tumor-free and overall survival. PMID:18508709

Transcription has been linked to DNA damage. How the most highly transcribed mammalian ribosomal (rDNA) genes maintain genome integrity in the absence of transcription-coupled DNA damage repair is poorly understood. Here, we report that ABH2/ALKBH2, a DNA alkylation repair enzyme, is highly enriched in the nucleolus. ABH2 interacts with DNArepair proteins Ku70 and Ku80 as well as nucleolar proteins nucleolin, nucleophosmin 1, and upstream binding factor (UBF). ABH2 associates with and promotes rDNA transcription through its DNArepair activity. ABH2 knockdown impairs rDNA transcription and leads to increased single-stranded and double-stranded DNA breaks that are more pronounced in the rDNA genes, whereas ABH2 overexpression protects cells from methyl-methanesulfonate-induced DNA damage and inhibition of rDNA transcription. In response to massive alkylation damage, ABH2 rapidly redistributes from the nucleolus to nucleoplasm. Our study thus reveals a critical role of ABH2 in maintaining rDNA gene integrity and transcription and provides insight into the ABH2 DNArepair function. PMID:23972994

Many DNA transactions are crucial for maintaining genomic integrity and faithful transfer of genetic information but remain poorly understood. An example is the interplay between nucleotide excision repair (NER) and transcription, also known as transcription-coupled DNArepair (TCR). Discovered decades ago, the mechanisms for TCR have remained elusive, not in small part due to the scarcity of structural studies of key players. Here we summarize recent structural information on NER/TCR factors, focusing on bacterial systems, and integrate it with existing genetic, biochemical, and biophysical data to delineate the mechanisms at play. We also review emerging, alternative modalities for recruitment of NER proteins to DNA lesions. PMID:23084398

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are rapidly proliferating, self-renewing cells that have the capacity to differentiate into all three germ layers to form the embryo proper. Since these cells are critical for embryo formation, they must have robust prophylactic mechanisms to ensure that their genomic integrity is preserved. Indeed, several studies have suggested that ES cells are hypersensitive to DNA damaging agents and readily undergo apoptosis to eliminate damaged cells from the population. Other evidence suggests that DNA damage can cause premature differentiation in these cells. Several laboratories have also begun to investigate the role of DNArepair in the maintenance of ES cell genomic integrity. It does appear that ES cells differ in their capacity to repair damaged DNA compared to differentiated cells. This minireview focuses on repair mechanisms ES cells may use to help preserve genomic integrity and compares available data regarding these mechanisms with those utilized by differentiated cells.

The coordination of cell cycle progression with the repair of DNA damage supports the genomic integrity of dividing cells. The function of many factors involved in DNA damage response (DDR) and the cell cycle depends on their Ran GTPase-regulated nuclear-cytoplasmic transport (NCT). The loading of Ran with GTP, which is mediated by RCC1, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ran, is critical for NCT activity. However, the role of RCC1 or Ran⋅GTP in promoting cell proliferation or DDR is not clear. We show that RCC1 overexpression in normal cells increased cellular Ran⋅GTP levels and accelerated the cell cycle and DNA damage repair. As a result, normal cells overexpressing RCC1 evaded DNA damage-induced cell cycle arrest and senescence, mimicking colorectal carcinoma cells with high endogenous RCC1 levels. The RCC1-induced inhibition of senescence required Ran and exportin 1 and involved the activation of importin β-dependent nuclear import of 53BP1, a large NCT cargo. Our results indicate that changes in the activity of the Ran⋅GTP-regulated NCT modulate the rate of the cell cycle and the efficiency of DNArepair. Through the essential role of RCC1 in regulation of cellular Ran⋅GTP levels and NCT, RCC1 expression enables the proliferation of cells that sustain DNA damage. PMID:26864624

The coordination of cell cycle progression with the repair of DNA damage supports the genomic integrity of dividing cells. The function of many factors involved in DNA damage response (DDR) and the cell cycle depends on their Ran GTPase–regulated nuclear–cytoplasmic transport (NCT). The loading of Ran with GTP, which is mediated by RCC1, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ran, is critical for NCT activity. However, the role of RCC1 or Ran⋅GTP in promoting cell proliferation or DDR is not clear. We show that RCC1 overexpression in normal cells increased cellular Ran⋅GTP levels and accelerated the cell cycle and DNA damage repair. As a result, normal cells overexpressing RCC1 evaded DNA damage–induced cell cycle arrest and senescence, mimicking colorectal carcinoma cells with high endogenous RCC1 levels. The RCC1-induced inhibition of senescence required Ran and exportin 1 and involved the activation of importin β–dependent nuclear import of 53BP1, a large NCT cargo. Our results indicate that changes in the activity of the Ran⋅GTP–regulated NCT modulate the rate of the cell cycle and the efficiency of DNArepair. Through the essential role of RCC1 in regulation of cellular Ran⋅GTP levels and NCT, RCC1 expression enables the proliferation of cells that sustain DNA damage. PMID:26864624

Photolyase, a class of flavoproteins, uses blue light to repair two types of ultraviolet-induced DNA damage, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) and pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6–4) photoproduct (6–4PP). In this perspective, we review the recent progress on the repair dynamics and mechanisms of both types of DNA restoration by photolyases. We first report the spectroscopic characterization of flavin in various redox states and the active-site solvation dynamics in photolyases. We then systematically summarize the detailed repair dynamics of damaged DNA by photolyases and a biomimetic system through resolving all elementary steps on the ultrafast timescales, including multiple intermolecular electron- and proton-transfer reactions and bond-breaking and -making processes. We determined the unique electron tunneling pathways, identified the key functional residues and revealed the molecular origin of high repair efficiency, and thus elucidate the molecular mechanisms and repair photocycles at the most fundamental level. We finally conclude that the active sites of photolyases, unlike aqueous solution for the biomimetic system, provide a unique electrostatic environment and local flexibility and thus a dedicated synergy for all elementary dynamics to maximize the repair efficiency. This repair photomachine is the first enzyme that the entire functional evolution is completely mapped out in real time. PMID:25870862

Photolyase is a flavin photoenzyme that repairs two DNA base damage products induced by ultraviolet (UV) light: cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 photoproducts. With femtosecond spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis, investigators have recently made significant advances in our understanding of UV-damaged DNArepair, and the entire enzymatic dynamics can now be mapped out in real time. For dimer repair, six elementary steps have been characterized, including three electron transfer reactions and two bond-breaking processes, and their reaction times have been determined. A unique electron-tunneling pathway was identified, and the critical residues in modulating the repair function at the active site were determined. The dynamic synergy between the elementary reactions for maintaining high repair efficiency was elucidated, and the biological nature of the flavin active state was uncovered. For 6-4 photoproduct repair, a proton-coupled electron transfer repair mechanism has been revealed. The elucidation of electron transfer mechanisms and two repair photocycles is significant and provides a molecular basis for future practical applications, such as in rational drug design for curing skin cancer.

Acrolein (Acr), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, is a human carcinogen. Acr can react with DNA to form mutagenic α- and γ-hydroxy-1, N2-cyclic propano-2′-deoxyguanosine adducts (α-OH-Acr-dG and γ-OH-Acr-dG). We demonstrate here that Acr-dG adducts can be efficiently repaired by the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway in normal human bronchial epithelia (NHBE) and lung fibroblasts (NHLF). However, the same adducts were poorly processed in cell lysates isolated from Acr-treated NHBE and NHLF, suggesting that Acr inhibits NER. In addition, we show that Acr treatment also inhibits base excision repair and mismatch repair. Although Acr does not change the expression of XPA, XPC, hOGG1, PMS2 or MLH1 genes, it causes a reduction of XPA, XPC, hOGG1, PMS2, and MLH1 proteins; this effect, however, can be neutralized by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Acr treatment further enhances both bulky and oxidative DNA damage-induced mutagenesis. These results indicate that Acr not only damages DNA but can also modify DNArepair proteins and further causes degradation of these modified repair proteins. We propose that these two detrimental effects contribute to Acr mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. PMID:22275365

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an evolutionary conserved molecular chaperone that, together with Hsp70 and co-chaperones makes up the Hsp90 chaperone machinery, stabilizing and activating more than 200 proteins, involved in protein homeostasis (i.e., proteostasis), transcriptional regulation, chromatin remodeling, and DNArepair. Cells respond to DNA damage by activating complex DNA damage response (DDR) pathways that include: (i) cell cycle arrest; (ii) transcriptional and post-translational activation of a subset of genes, including those associated with DNArepair; and (iii) triggering of programmed cell death. The efficacy of the DDR pathways is influenced by the nuclear levels of DNArepair proteins, which are regulated by balancing between protein synthesis and degradation as well as by nuclear import and export. The inability to respond properly to either DNA damage or to DNArepair leads to genetic instability, which in turn may enhance the rate of cancer development. Multiple components of the DNA double strand breaks repair machinery, including BRCA1, BRCA2, CHK1, DNA-PKcs, FANCA, and the MRE11/RAD50/NBN complex, have been described to be client proteins of Hsp90, which acts as a regulator of the diverse DDR pathways. Inhibition of Hsp90 actions leads to the altered localization and stabilization of DDR proteins after DNA damage and may represent a cell-specific and tumor-selective radiosensibilizer. Here, the role of Hsp90-dependent molecular mechanisms involved in cancer onset and in the maintenance of the genome integrity is discussed and highlighted. PMID:26501335

DNA damage is a natural hazard of life. The most common DNA lesions are base, sugar, and single-strand break damage resulting from oxidation, alkylation, deamination, and spontaneous hydrolysis. If left unrepaired, such lesions can become fixed in the genome as permanent mutations. Thus, evolution has led to the creation of several highly conserved, partially redundant pathways to repair or mitigate the effects of DNA base damage. The biochemical mechanisms of these pathways have been well characterized and the impact of this work was recently highlighted by the selection of Tomas Lindahl, Aziz Sancar and Paul Modrich as the recipients of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their seminal work in defining DNArepair pathways. However, how these repair pathways are regulated and interconnected is still being elucidated. This review focuses on the classical base excision repair and strand incision pathways in eukaryotes, considering both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and humans, and extends to some important questions and challenges facing the field of DNA base damage repair. PMID:26519467

DNA damage is a natural hazard of life. The most common DNA lesions are base, sugar, and single-strand break damage resulting from oxidation, alkylation, deamination, and spontaneous hydrolysis. If left unrepaired, such lesions can become fixed in the genome as permanent mutations. Thus, evolution has led to the creation of several highly conserved, partially redundant pathways to repair or mitigate the effects of DNA base damage. The biochemical mechanisms of these pathways have been well characterized and the impact of this work was recently highlighted by the selection of Tomas Lindahl, Aziz Sancar and Paul Modrich as the recipients of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their seminal work in defining DNArepair pathways. However, how these repair pathways are regulated and interconnected is still being elucidated. This review focuses on the classical base excision repair and strand incision pathways in eukaryotes, considering both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and humans, and extends to some important questions and challenges facing the field of DNA base damage repair. PMID:26519467

We have concentrated on three specific areas of our research plan. Our greatest emphasis is on the role of single strand nicks in influencing template strand selection in mismatch repair. We have found, that the ability of a nick in one strand to influence which strand is repaired is not a simple function of distance from the mismatched site but rather that an hot spot where a nick is more likely to have an influence can exist. The second line was production of single-genotype heteroduplexes in order to examine independently the repair of T/G and A/C mispairs within the same sequence context as in our mixed mispair preparations. We have shown preparations of supercoiled heteroduplex can be prepared that were exclusively T/G or exclusively A/C at the mispair site. The third effort has been to understand the difference in repair bias of different cell lines or different transfection conditions as it may relate to different repair systems in the cell. We have identified some of the sources of variation, including cell cycle position. We hope to continue this work to more precisely identify the phase of the cell cycle.

The DNArepair systems of rodent and human cells appear to be at least as complex genetically as those in lower eukaryotes and bacteria. The use of mutant lines of rodent cells as a means of identifying human repair genes by functional complementation offers a new approach toward studying the role of repair in mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. In each of six cases examined using hybrid cells, specific human chromosomes have been identified that correct CHO cell mutations affecting repair of damage from uv or ionizing radiations. This finding suggests that both the repair genes and proteins may be virtually interchangeable between rodent and human cells. Using cosmid vectors, human repair genes that map to chromosome 19 have cloned as functional sequences: ERCC2 and XRCC1. ERCC1 was found to have homology with the yeast excision repair gene RAD10. Transformants of repair-deficient cell lines carrying the corresponding human gene show efficient correction of repair capacity by all criteria examined. 39 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Oxidative-stress-induced damage to DNA includes a multitude of lesions, many of which are mutagenic and have multiple roles in cancer and aging. Many lesions have been characterized by MS-based methods after extraction and digestion of DNA. These preparation steps may cause spurious base oxidation, which is less likely to occur with methods such as the comet assay, which are based on nicking of the DNA strand at modified bases, but offer less specificity. The European Standards Committee on Oxidative DNA Damage has concluded that the true levels of the most widely studied lesion, 8-oxodG (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine), in cellular DNA is between 0.5 and 5 lesions per 10(6) dG bases. Base excision repair of oxidative damage to DNA can be assessed by nicking assays based on oligonucleotides with lesions or the comet assay, by mRNA expression levels or, in the case of, e.g., OGG1 (8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1), responsible for repair of 8-oxodG, by genotyping. Products of repair in DNA or the nucleotide pool, such as 8-oxodG, excreted into the urine can be assessed by MS-based methods and generally reflects the rate of damage. Experimental and population-based studies indicate that many environmental factors, including particulate air pollution, cause oxidative damage to DNA, whereas diets rich in fruit and vegetables or antioxidant supplements may reduce the levels and enhance repair. Urinary excretion of 8-oxodG, genotype and expression of OGG1 have been associated with risk of cancer in cohort settings, whereas altered levels of damage, repair or urinary excretion in case-control settings may be a consequence rather than the cause of the disease. PMID:18793191

The mismatch repair (MMR) system promotes genomic fidelity by repairing base-base mismatches, insertion-deletion loops and heterologies generated during DNA replication and recombination. This function is critically dependent on the assembling of multimeric complexes involved in mismatch recognition and signal transduction to downstream repair events. In addition, MMR proteins coordinate a complex network of physical and functional interactions that mediate other DNA transactions, such as transcription-coupled repair, base excision repair and recombination. MMR proteins are also involved in activation of cell cycle checkpoint and induction of apoptosis when DNA damage overwhelms a critical threshold. For this reason, they play a role in cell death by alkylating agents and other chemotherapeutic drugs, including cisplatin. Inactivation of MMR genes in hereditary and sporadic cancer is associated with a mutator phenotype and inhibition of apoptosis. In the future, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms and functional interactions of MMR proteins will lead to the development of more effective cancer prevention and treatment strategies. PMID:11687886

Heterochromatin formation and nuclear organization are important in gene regulation and genome fidelity. Proteins involved in gene silencing localize to sites of damage and some DNArepair proteins localize to heterochromatin, but the biological importance of these correlations remains unclear. In this study, we examined the role of double-strand-break repair proteins in gene silencing and nuclear organization. We find that the ATM kinase Tel1 and the proteins Mre11 and Esc2 can silence a reporter gene dependent on the Sir, as well as on other repair proteins. Furthermore, these proteins aid in the localization of silenced domains to specific compartments in the nucleus. We identify two distinct mechanisms for repair protein–mediated silencing—via direct and indirect interactions with Sir proteins, as well as by tethering loci to the nuclear periphery. This study reveals previously unknown interactions between repair proteins and silencing proteins and suggests insights into the mechanism underlying genome integrity. PMID:25631822

Despite surgical resection and genotoxic treatment with ionizing radiation and the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide, glioblastoma remains one of the most lethal cancers, due in great part to the action of DNArepair mechanisms that drive resistance and tumor relapse. Understanding the molecular details of these mechanisms and identifying potential pharmacological targets have emerged as vital tasks to improve treatment. In this review, we introduce the various cellular systems and animal models that are used in studies of DNArepair in glioblastoma. We summarize recent progress in our knowledge of the pathways and factors involved in the removal of DNA lesions induced by ionizing radiation and temozolomide. We introduce the therapeutic strategies relying on DNArepair inhibitors that are currently being tested in vitro or in clinical trials, and present the challenges raised by drug delivery across the blood brain barrier as well as new opportunities in this field. Finally, we review the genetic and epigenetic alterations that help shape the DNArepair makeup of glioblastoma cells, and discuss their potential therapeutic impact and implications for personalized therapy. PMID:27543314

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessive genetic disorder characterized by developmental defects, bone marrow failure, and cancer susceptibility. The complete set of FA genes has only been identified recently and seems to be uniquely conserved among vertebrates. Fanconi anemia proteins have been implicated in the repair of interstrand DNA crosslinks that block DNA replication and transcription. Although all thirteen FA complementation groups show similar clinical and cellular phenotypes, approximately 85% of patients presented defective FANCA, FANCC, or FANCG. The established DNA interacting components (FANCM, FANCI, FANCD2, and FANCJ) account only for approximately 5% of all FA patients, an observation that raises doubt concerning the roles of FA proteins in DNArepair. In recent years, rapid progress in the area of FA research has provided great insights into the critical roles of FA proteins in DNArepair. However, many FA proteins do not have identifiable domains to indicate how they contribute to biological processes, particularly DNArepair. Therefore, future biochemical studies are warranted to understand the biological functions of FA proteins and their implications in human diseases. PMID:20515746

The principal DNA mismatch repair proteins MutS and MutL are versatile enzymes that couple DNA mismatch or damage recognition to other cellular processes. Besides interaction with their DNA substrates this involves transient interactions with other proteins which is triggered by the DNA mismatch or damage and controlled by conformational changes. Both MutS and MutL proteins have ATPase activity, which adds another level to control their activity and interactions with DNA substrates and other proteins. Here we focus on the protein-protein interactions, protein interaction sites and the different levels of structural knowledge about the protein complexes formed with MutS and MutL during the mismatch repair reaction. PMID:26725162

DNA damage is a common feature of neurodegenerative illnesses, and the ability to repairDNA strand breaks and lesions is crucial for neuronal survival, reported by Jeppesen et al (Prog Neurobiol. 2011;94:166-200) and Shiwaku et al (Curr Mol Med. 2015;15:119-128). Interventions aimed at repairing these lesions, therefore, could be useful for preventing or delaying the progression of disease. One potential strategy for promoting DNA damage repair (DDR) is exercise. Although the role of exercise in DDR is not understood, there is increasing evidence that simple physical activity may impact clinical outcomes for neurodegeneration. Here, we discuss what is currently known about the molecular mechanisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and how these mechanisms might influence the DDR process. PMID:27488073

Cells are constantly exposed to endogenous and exogenous factors that threaten the integrity of their DNA. The maintenance of genome stability is of paramount importance in the prevention of both cancer and aging processes. To deal with DNA damage, cells put into operation a sophisticated and coordinated mechanism, collectively known as DNA damage response (DDR). The DDR orchestrates different cellular processes, such as DNArepair, senescence and apoptosis. Among the key factors of the DDR, the related proteins p53, p63 and p73, all belonging to the same family of transcription factors, play multiple relevant roles. Indeed, the members of this family are directly involved in the induction of cell cycle arrest that is necessary to allow the cells to repair. Alternatively, they can promote cell death in case of prolonged or irreparable DNA damage. They also take part in a more direct task by modulating the expression of core factors involved in the process of DNArepair or by directly interacting with them. In this review we will analyze the fundamental roles of the p53 family in the aging process through their multifaceted function in DDR. PMID:26668111

Active DNA demethylation (ADDM) in mammals occurs via hydroxylation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) by TET and/or deamination by AID/APOBEC family enzymes. The resulting 5mC derivatives are removed through the base excision repair (BER) pathway. At present, it is unclear how the cell manages to eliminate closely spaced 5mC residues whilst avoiding generation of toxic BER intermediates and whether alternative DNArepair pathways participate in ADDM. It has been shown that non-canonical DNA mismatch repair (ncMMR) can remove both alkylated and oxidized nucleotides from DNA. Here, a phagemid DNA containing oxidative base lesions and methylated sites are used to examine the involvement of various DNArepair pathways in ADDM in murine and human cell-free extracts. We demonstrate that, in addition to short-patch BER, 5-hydroxymethyluracil and uracil mispaired with guanine can be processed by ncMMR and long-patch BER with concomitant removal of distant 5mC residues. Furthermore, the presence of multiple mispairs in the same MMR nick/mismatch recognition region together with BER-mediated nick formation promotes proficient ncMMR resulting in the reactivation of an epigenetically silenced reporter gene in murine cells. These findings suggest cooperation between BER and ncMMR in the removal of multiple mismatches that might occur in mammalian cells during ADDM. PMID:26843430

Active DNA demethylation (ADDM) in mammals occurs via hydroxylation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) by TET and/or deamination by AID/APOBEC family enzymes. The resulting 5mC derivatives are removed through the base excision repair (BER) pathway. At present, it is unclear how the cell manages to eliminate closely spaced 5mC residues whilst avoiding generation of toxic BER intermediates and whether alternative DNArepair pathways participate in ADDM. It has been shown that non-canonical DNA mismatch repair (ncMMR) can remove both alkylated and oxidized nucleotides from DNA. Here, a phagemid DNA containing oxidative base lesions and methylated sites are used to examine the involvement of various DNArepair pathways in ADDM in murine and human cell-free extracts. We demonstrate that, in addition to short-patch BER, 5-hydroxymethyluracil and uracil mispaired with guanine can be processed by ncMMR and long-patch BER with concomitant removal of distant 5mC residues. Furthermore, the presence of multiple mispairs in the same MMR nick/mismatch recognition region together with BER-mediated nick formation promotes proficient ncMMR resulting in the reactivation of an epigenetically silenced reporter gene in murine cells. These findings suggest cooperation between BER and ncMMR in the removal of multiple mismatches that might occur in mammalian cells during ADDM. PMID:26843430

Base excision repair and nucleotide excision repair are vital responses to multiple types of DNA damage, including damage from tobacco exposure. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in these pathways may affect DNArepair capacity and therefore influence risk for cancer development. We performed a clinic-based, case-control study comprising 481 consecutive patients with confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma and 625 healthy controls. Allele and genotype frequencies for 16 SNPs in DNArepair genes ERCC1, XPD/ERCC2, XPC, XPF/ERCC4, OGG1, and XRCC1 were compared after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking history. Subgroup analysis by sex and smoking history was performed. Carriers of one or two XPF/ERCC4 minor alleles at R415Q had decreased risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared with those who had two major alleles [odds ratio (OR), 0.59; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.40-0.85]. Heavy smokers (>40 pack-years) had increased risk for cancer if they were carriers of at least one minor allele for XPD/ERCC2 at D312N (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.28-6.04) or D711D (OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.01-4.73). No other significant differences in risk were identified. Minor alleles in DNArepair genes XPF/ERCC4 and XPD/ERCC2 were associated with altered risk for pancreatic cancer. PMID:18544627

Fe-S clusters are partners in the origin of life that predate cells, acetyl-CoA metabolism, DNA, and the RNA world. The double helix solved the mystery of DNA replication by base pairing for accurate copying. Yet, for genome stability necessary to life, the double helix has equally important implications for damage repair. Here we examine striking advances that uncover Fe-S cluster roles both in copying the genetic sequence by DNA polymerases and in crucial repair processes for genome maintenance, as mutational defects cause cancer and degenerative disease. Moreover, we examine an exciting, controversial role for Fe-S clusters in a third element required for life – the long-range coordination and regulation of replication and repair events. By their ability to delocalize electrons over both Fe and S centers, Fe-S clusters have unbeatable features for protein conformational control and charge transfer via double-stranded DNA that may fundamentally transform our understanding of life, replication, and repair. PMID:25655665

Archaea are found in some of the most extreme environments on earth and represent a third domain of life distinct from Eukarya and Eubacteria. The hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, isolated from acidic hot springs (80oC, pH 3) in Yellowstone National Park, has emerged as a potential model system for studying human DNArepair processes. Archaea are more closely related to Eukarya than to Eubacteria, suggesting that archaeal DNArepair machinery may model the complex human system much more closely than that of other prokaryotes. DNArepair requires coordinated protein-protein interactions that are frequently transient. Protein complexes that are transient at extreme temperatures where archaea thrive may be more stable at room temperature, allowing for the characterization of otherwise short-lived complexes. However, characterization of these systems in archaea has been limited by the absence of a stable in vivo transformation and expression system. The work presented here is a pilot study in gene cloning and recombinant protein expression in S. solfataricus. Three genes associated with DNArepair were selected for expression: MRE11, PCNA1, and a putative CSB homologue. Though preparation of these recombinant genes followed standard methods, preparation of a suitable vector proved more challenging. The shuttle vector pSSV64, derived from the SSV1 virus and the E. coli vector pBSSK+, was most successfully isolated from the DH5α E. coli strain. Currently, alternative vectors are being designed for more efficient genetic manipulations in S. solfataricus.

To maintain genomic stability and ensure the fidelity of chromosomal transmission, cells respond to various forms of genotoxic stress, including DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs), through the activation of DNA damage response signaling networks. In response to DSBs as induced by ionizing radiation (IR), during DNA replication, or through immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) rearrangements in B cells of lymphoid origin, the phosphatidyl inositol-like kinase (PIK) kinases ATM (mutated in ataxia telangiectasia), ATR (ATM and Rad3-related kinase), and the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activate signaling pathways that lead to DSB repair. DSBs are repaired by either of two major, non-mutually exclusive pathways: homologous recombination (HR) that utilizes an undamaged sister chromatid template (or homologous chromosome) and non- homologous end joining (NHEJ), an error prone mechanism that processes and joins broken DNA ends through the coordinated effort of a small set of ubiquitous factors (DNA-PKcs, Ku70, Ku80, artemis, Xrcc4/DNA lig IV, and XLF/Cernunnos). The PIK kinases phosphorylate a variety of effector substrates that propagate the DNA damage signal, ultimately resulting in various biological outputs that influence cell cycle arrest, transcription, DNArepair, and apoptosis. A variety of data has revealed a critical role for p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) in the cellular response to DSBs including various aspects of p53 function. Importantly, 53BP1 plays a major role in suppressing translocations, particularly in B and T cells. This report will review past experiments and current knowledge regarding the role of 53BP1 in the DNA damage response. PMID:16945145

The interplay between dietary habits and individual genetic make-up is assumed to influence risk of cancer, via modulation of DNA integrity. Our aim was to characterize internal and external factors that underlie inter-individual variability in DNA damage and repair and to identify dietary habits beneficial for maintaining DNA integrity. Habitual diet was estimated in 340 healthy individuals using a food frequency questionnaire and biomarkers of antioxidant status were quantified in fasting blood samples. Markers of DNA integrity were represented by DNA strand breaks, oxidized purines, oxidized pyrimidines and a sum of all three as total DNA damage. DNArepair was characterized by genetic variants and functional activities of base and nucleotide excision repair pathways. Sex, fruit-based food consumption and XPG genotype were factors significantly associated with the level of DNA damage. DNA damage was higher in women (p=0.035). Fruit consumption was negatively associated with the number of all measured DNA lesions, and this effect was mediated mostly by β-cryptoxanthin and β-tocopherol (p<0.05). XPG 1104His homozygotes appeared more vulnerable to DNA damage accumulation (p=0.001). Sex and individual antioxidants were also associated with DNArepair capacity; both the base and nucleotide excision repairs were lower in women and the latter increased with higher plasma levels of ascorbic acid and α-carotene (p<0.05). We have determined genetic and dietary factors that modulate DNA integrity. We propose that the positive health effect of fruit intake is partially mediated via DNA damage suppression and a simultaneous increase in DNArepair capacity. PMID:24674629

Several classes of inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) have been developed based on its central role in sensing growth factor and nutrient levels to regulate cellular metabolism. However, its ATP-binding site closely resembles other phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family members, resulting in reactivity with these targets that may also be therapeutically useful. The ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitor, Torin2, shows biochemical activity against the DNArepair-associated proteins ATM, ATR and DNA-PK, which raises the possibility that Torin2 and related compounds might radiosensitize cancerous tumors. In this study Torin2 was also found to enhance ionizing radiation-induced cell killing in conditions where ATM was dispensable, confirming the requirement for multiple PIKK targets. Moreover, Torin2 did not influence the initial appearance of γ-H2AX foci after irradiation but significantly delayed the disappearance of radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci, indicating a DNArepair defect. Torin2 increased the number of radiation-induced S-phase specific chromosome aberrations and reduced the frequency of radiation-induced CtIP and Rad51 foci formation, suggesting that Torin2 works by blocking homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNArepair resulting in an S-phase specific DNArepair defect. Accordingly, Torin2 reduced HR-mediated repair of I-Sce1-induced DNA damage and contributed to replication fork stalling. We conclude that radiosensitization of tumor cells by Torin2 is associated with disrupting ATR- and ATM-dependent DNA damage responses. Our findings support the concept of developing combination cancer therapies that incorporate ionizing radiation therapy and Torin2 or compounds with similar properties. PMID:27135971

Exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with adverse health effects including lung cancer. A recent epidemiology study has established that each 10 microg/m3 elevation in long-term exposure to average PM2.5 ambient concentration was associated with approximately 8% of lung cancer mortality. The underlying mechanisms of how PM contributes to lung carcinogenesis, however, remain to be elucidated. We have recently found that transition metals such as nickel and chromium and oxidative stress induced lipid peroxidation metabolites such as aldehydes can greatly inhibit nucleotide excision repair (NER) and enhance carcinogen-induced mutations. Because PM is rich in metal and aldehyde content and can induce oxidative stress, we tested the effect of PM on DNArepair capacity in cultured human lung cells using in vitro DNArepair synthesis and host cell reactivation assays. We found that PM greatly inhibits NER for ultraviolet (UV) light and benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) induced DNA damage in human lung cells. We further demonstrated that PM exposure can significantly increase both spontaneous and UV-induced mutagenesis. These results together suggest that the carcinogenicity of PM may act through its combined effect on suppression of DNArepair and enhancement of DNA replication errors. PMID:18804180

DNA is constantly exposed to both endogenous and exogenous damages. More than 10,000 DNA modifications are induced every day in each cell's genome. Maintenance of the integrity of the genome is accomplished by several DNArepair systems. The core enzymes for these pathways are the DNA polymerases. Out of 17 DNA polymerases present in a mammalian cell, at least 13 are specifically devoted to DNArepair and are often acting in different pathways. DNA polymerases β and λ are involved in base excision repair of modified DNA bases and translesion synthesis past DNA lesions. Polymerase λ also participates in non-homologous end joining of DNA double-strand breaks. However, recent data have revealed that, depending on their relative levels, the cell cycle phase, the ratio between deoxy- and ribo-nucleotide pools and the interaction with particular auxiliary proteins, the repair reactions carried out by these enzymes can be an important source of genetic instability, owing to repair mistakes. This review summarizes the most recent results on the ambivalent properties of these enzymes in limiting or promoting genetic instability in mammalian cells, as well as their potential use as targets for anticancer chemotherapy. PMID:27589807

The DNA base excision repair pathway is the main system involved in the removal of oxidative damage to DNA such as 8-Oxoguanine (8-oxoG) primarily via the 8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1). Our goal was to investigate whether the repair of 8-oxoG DNA damage follow a circadian rhythm. In a group of 15 healthy volunteers, we found a daily variation of Ogg1 expression and activity with higher levels in the morning compared to the evening hours. Consistent with this, we also found lower levels of 8-oxoG in morning hours compared to those in the evening hours. Lymphocytes exposed to oxidative damage to DNA at 8:00 AM display lower accumulation of 8-oxoG than lymphocytes exposed at 8:00 PM. Furthermore, altered levels of Ogg1 expression were also observed in a group of shift workers experiencing a deregulation of circadian clock genes compared to a control group. Moreover, BMAL1 knockdown fibroblasts with a deregulated molecular clock showed an abolishment of circadian variation of Ogg1 expression and an increase of OGG1 activity. Our results suggest that the circadian modulation of 8-oxoG DNA damage repair, according to a variation of Ogg1 expression, could render humans less susceptible to accumulate 8-oxoG DNA damage in the morning hours. PMID:26337123

The DNA base excision repair pathway is the main system involved in the removal of oxidative damage to DNA such as 8-Oxoguanine (8-oxoG) primarily via the 8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1). Our goal was to investigate whether the repair of 8-oxoG DNA damage follow a circadian rhythm. In a group of 15 healthy volunteers, we found a daily variation of Ogg1 expression and activity with higher levels in the morning compared to the evening hours. Consistent with this, we also found lower levels of 8-oxoG in morning hours compared to those in the evening hours. Lymphocytes exposed to oxidative damage to DNA at 8:00 AM display lower accumulation of 8-oxoG than lymphocytes exposed at 8:00 PM. Furthermore, altered levels of Ogg1 expression were also observed in a group of shift workers experiencing a deregulation of circadian clock genes compared to a control group. Moreover, BMAL1 knockdown fibroblasts with a deregulated molecular clock showed an abolishment of circadian variation of Ogg1 expression and an increase of OGG1 activity. Our results suggest that the circadian modulation of 8-oxoG DNA damage repair, according to a variation of Ogg1 expression, could render humans less susceptible to accumulate 8-oxoG DNA damage in the morning hours. PMID:26337123

Are DNA damage and mutations possible causes or consequences of aging? This question has been hotly debated by biogerontologists for decades. The importance of DNA damage as a possible driver of the aging process went from being widely recognized to then forgotten, and is now slowly making a comeback. DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are particularly relevant to aging because of their toxicity, increased frequency with age and the association of defects in their repair with premature aging. Recent studies expand the potential impact of DNA damage and mutations on aging by linking DNA DSB repair and age-related chromatin changes. There is overwhelming evidence that increased DNA damage and mutations accelerate aging. However, an ultimate proof of causality would be to show that enhanced genome and epigenome stability delays aging. This is not an easy task, as improving such complex biological processes is infinitely more difficult than disabling it. We will discuss the possibility that animal models with enhanced DNArepair and epigenome maintenance will be generated in the near future. PMID:26923716

Biochemical and genetic information on xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) has been briefly reviewed. This indicates that 80 to 90 percent of all XP patients are defective in the excision repair of pyrimidine dimers and are unable to perform the first step of this process as shown, for example, by their inability to undergo the DNA superhelical changes which accompany the initiation of excision repair in normal cells. However, in spite of its apparent biochemical homogeneity, XP is genetically heterogeneous and many genes appear to be responsible for the function of the factor defective in XP. Ten to 20 percent of all XP patients (called XP-variants) are capable of "dimer excision repair" but have difficulties in replicating UV-damaged DNA. The defects of XP and XP-variant affect also the repair of DNA damage caused by a number of chemical mutagens and carcinogens. This has important theoretical and practical implications since it indicates, for example, that the repair systems defective in XP must have broad specificity and that even XP cells not exposed to the harmful effect of light may suffer from poor repair of DNA damage. With regard to cancer, two questions have been considered. Namely, does XP provide a valid general model for UV-carcinogenesis in man and does it show how DNA damage leads to malignant transformation? The first question was answered in the affirmative in view of some clinical but, mainly, of cell biological data indicating that normal and excision defective XP cells differ, more quantitatively than qualitatively, in their response to UV-light. With regard to the second question XP seems to provide some support for various theories on carcinogenesis and, DNArepair defects may favour actinic carcinogenesis in a complex, non-univocous manner. Possibly the most important lesson imparted by XP is that, in man, the stability of the genetic material is dependent on the function of repair systems whose failure may predispose to cancer. In addition, the

Species survival depends on the faithful replication of genetic information, which is continually monitored and maintained by DNArepair pathways that correct replication errors and the thousands of lesions that arise daily from the inherent chemical lability of DNA and the effects of genotoxic agents. Nonetheless, neutrally evolving DNA (not under purifying selection) accumulates base substitutions with time (the neutral mutation rate). Thus, repair processes are not 100% efficient. The neutral mutation rate varies both between and within chromosomes. For example it is 10-50 fold higher at CpGs than at non-CpG positions. Interestingly, the neutral mutation rate at non-CpG sites is positively correlated with CpG content. Although the basis of this correlation was not immediately apparent, some bioinformatic results were consistent with the induction of non-CpG mutations by DNArepair at flanking CpG sites. Recent studies with a model system showed that in vivo repair of preformed lesions (mismatches, abasic sites, single stranded nicks) can in fact induce mutations in flanking DNA. Mismatch repair (MMR) is an essential component for repair-induced mutations, which can occur as distant as 5 kb from the introduced lesions. Most, but not all, mutations involved the C of TpCpN (G of NpGpA) which is the target sequence of the C-preferring single-stranded DNA specific APOBEC deaminases. APOBEC-mediated mutations are not limited to our model system: Recent studies by others showed that some tumors harbor mutations with the same signature, as can intermediates in RNA-guided endonuclease-mediated genome editing. APOBEC deaminases participate in normal physiological functions such as generating mutations that inactivate viruses or endogenous retrotransposons, or that enhance immunoglobulin diversity in B cells. The recruitment of normally physiological error-prone processes during DNArepair would have important implications for disease, aging and evolution. This perspective

The molecular era of telomere biology began with the discovery that telomeres usually consist of G-rich simple repeats and end with 3′ single-stranded tails. Enormous progress has been made in identifying the mechanisms that maintain and replenish telomeric DNA and the proteins that protect them from degradation, fusions, and checkpoint activation. Although telomeres in different organisms (or even in the same organism under different conditions) are maintained by different mechanisms, the disparate processes have the common goals of repairing defects caused by semiconservative replication through G-rich DNA, countering the shortening caused by incomplete replication, and postreplication regeneration of G tails. In addition, standard DNArepair mechanisms must be suppressed or modified at telomeres to prevent their being recognized and processed as DNA double-strand breaks. Here, we discuss the players and processes that maintain and regenerate telomere structure. PMID:23732473

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) can bind to the major groove of homopurine-homopyrimidine stretches of double-stranded DNA in a sequence-specific manner through Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding to form DNA triplexes. TFOs by themselves or conjugated to reactive molecules can be used to direct sequence-specific DNA damage, which in turn results in the induction of several DNA metabolic activities. Triplex technology is highly utilized as a tool to study gene regulation, molecular mechanisms of DNArepair, recombination, and mutagenesis. In addition, TFO targeting of specific genes has been exploited in the development of therapeutic strategies to modulate DNA structure and function. In this review, we discuss advances made in studies of DNA damage, DNArepair, recombination, and mutagenesis by using triplex technology to target specific DNA sequences. PMID:21501652

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) can bind to the major groove of homopurine-homopyrimidine stretches of double-stranded DNA in a sequence-specific manner through Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding to form DNA triplexes. TFOs by themselves or conjugated to reactive molecules can be used to direct sequence-specific DNA damage, which in turn results in the induction of several DNA metabolic activities. Triplex technology is highly utilized as a tool to study gene regulation, molecular mechanisms of DNArepair, recombination, and mutagenesis. In addition, TFO targeting of specific genes has been exploited in the development of therapeutic strategies to modulate DNA structure and function. In this review, we discuss advances made in studies of DNA damage, DNArepair, recombination, and mutagenesis by using triplex technology to target specific DNA sequences. PMID:21501652

DNA adducts derived from carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and benzo[c]phenanthrene (B[c]Ph) impede replication and transcription, resulting in aberrant cell division and gene expression. Global nucleotide excision repair (NER) and transcription-coupled DNArepair (TCR) are among the DNArepair pathways that evolved to maintain genome integrity by removing DNA damage. The interplay between global NER and TCR in repairing the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-derived DNA adducts (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N6-dA, which is subject to NER and blocks transcription in vitro, and (+)-trans-anti-B[c]Ph-N6-dA, which is a poor substrate for NER but also blocks transcription in vitro, was tested. The results show that both adducts inhibit transcription in human cells that lack both NER and TCR. The (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N6-dA lesion exhibited no detectable effect on transcription in cells proficient in NER but lacking TCR, indicating that NER can remove the lesion in the absence of TCR, which is consistent with in vitro data. In primary human cells lacking NER, (+)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N6-dA exhibited a deleterious effect on transcription that was less severe than in cells lacking both pathways, suggesting that TCR can repair the adduct but not as effectively as global NER. In contrast, (+)-trans-anti-B[c]Ph-N6-dA dramatically reduces transcript production in cells proficient in global NER but lacking TCR, indicating that TCR is necessary for the removal of this adduct, which is consistent with in vitro data showing that it is a poor substrate for NER. Hence, both global NER and TCR enhance the recovery of gene expression following DNA damage, and TCR plays an important role in removing DNA damage that is refractory to NER. PMID:26559971

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are among the most cytotoxic types of DNA damage, thus ICL-inducing agents such as psoralen, are clinically useful chemotherapeutics. Psoralen-modified triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) have been used to target ICLs to specific genomic sites to increase the selectivity of these agents. However, how TFO-directed psoralen ICLs (Tdp-ICLs) are recognized and processed in human cells is unclear. Previously, we reported that two essential nucleotide excision repair (NER) protein complexes, XPA-RPA and XPC-RAD23B, recognized ICLs in vitro, and that cells deficient in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) complex MutSbeta were sensitive to psoralen ICLs. To further investigate the role of MutSbeta in ICL repair and the potential interaction between proteins from the MMR and NER pathways on these lesions, we performed electrophoretic mobility-shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of MutSbeta and NER proteins with Tdp-ICLs. We found that MutSbeta bound to Tdp-ICLs with high affinity and specificity in vitro and in vivo, and that MutSbeta interacted with XPA-RPA or XPC-RAD23B in recognizing Tdp-ICLs. These data suggest that proteins from the MMR and NER pathways interact in the recognition of ICLs, and provide a mechanistic link by which proteins from multiple repair pathways contribute to ICL repair. PMID:19468048

Oxidative stress is considered to play key roles in aging and pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, which could bring DNA damage by cells. The DNA damage may lead to the cell apoptosis, which could contribute to the degeneration of neuronal tissues. Recent evidence suggests that PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10) may be involved in the pathophysiology of the neurodegenerative disorders. Since PTEN expression appears to be one dominant determinant of the neuronal cell death, PTEN should be a potential molecular target of novel therapeutic strategies against Parkinson's disease. In addition, defects in DNA damage response and DNArepair are often associated with modulation of hormone signaling pathways. Especially, many observations imply a role for estrogen in a regulation of the DNArepair action. In the present review, we have attempted to summarize the function of DNArepair molecules at a viewpoint of the PTEN signaling pathway and the hormone related functional modulation of cells, providing a broad interpretation on the molecular mechanisms for treatment of Parkinson's disease. Particular attention will be paid to the mechanisms proposed to explain the health effects of food ingredients against Parkinson's disease related to reduce oxidative stress for an efficient therapeutic intervention. PMID:27314344

Although ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure from indoor tanning has been linked to an increased risk of melanoma, the role of DNArepair genes in this process is unknown. We evaluated the association of 92 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 DNArepair genes with the risk of melanoma and indoor tanning among 929 patients with melanoma and 817 controls from the Minnesota Skin Health Study. Significant associations with melanoma risk were identified for SNPs in ERCC4, ERCC6, RFC1, XPC, MGMT, and FBRSL1 genes; with a cutoff of P DNA repair capacity using variants in base excision and nucleotide excision repair, identified several genes that may play a role in resolving UV-induced DNA damage. PMID:23659246

This paper reports on a simple hands-on laboratory procedure for high school students in studying both radiation damage and DNArepair systems in bacteria. The sensitivity to ultra-violet (UV) radiation of both "Escherichia coli" and "Serratia marcescens" is tested by radiating them for varying time periods. Two growth temperatures are used in…

Ionizing radiation is good at making DNA double strand breaks, and high linear energy transfer (LET) radiations such as heavy ion particles are particularly efficient. For this reason, the proteins belonging to repair systems that deal with double strand breaks are of particular interest. One such protein is Ku, a component in the non-homologous recombination repair system. The Ku protein is an abundant, heterodimeric DNA end-binding complex, composed of one 70 and one 86 kDa subunit. Ku protein binds to DNA ends, nicks, gaps, and regions of transition between single and double-stranded structure. These binding properties suggest an important role in DNArepair. The Ku antigen is important in this study because it is present in relatively large copy numbers and it is part of a double-strand-break repair system. More importantly, we consistently measure an apparent upregulation in situ that is not verified by whole-cell-lysate immunoblot measurements. This apparent upregulation is triggered by very low doses of radiation, thus showing a potentially useful high sensitivity. However, elucidation of the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is still to be done.

Homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) are alternative pathways of double-strand DNA break repair. We developed a method to quantify the efficiency of DNArepair pathways in the context of cancer therapy. The Recombination Proficiency Score (RPS) utilizes the expression levels for four genes involved in DNArepair pathway preference (RIF1, PARI, RAD51, and Ku80), such that high expression of these genes yields a low RPS. Carcinoma cells with low RPS exhibit HR suppression and frequent DNA copy number alterations, which are characteristic of error-prone repair processes that arise in HR-deficient backgrounds. The RPS system was clinically validated in patients with breast or non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). Tumors with low RPS were associated with greater mutagenesis, adverse clinical features, and inferior patient survival rates, suggesting that HR suppression plays a central role in promoting the genomic instability that fuels malignant progression. This adverse prognosis associated with low RPS was diminished if NSCLC patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, suggesting that HR suppression and associated sensitivity to platinum-based drugs counteracts the adverse prognosis associated with low RPS. Therefore, RPS may predict which therapies will be effective for individual patients, thereby enabling more personalized oncology care. PMID:24670686

In this work, we examine regulation of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) by the DNA damage inducible protein, GADD45α. We used a system to induce homologous recombination (HR) at a unique double-strand DNA break in a GFP reporter in mammalian cells. After HR, the repairedDNA is hypermethylated in recombinant clones showing low GFP expression (HR-L expressor class), while in high expressor recombinants (HR-H clones) previous methylation patterns are erased. GADD45α, which is transiently induced by double-strand breaks, binds to chromatin undergoing HR repair. Ectopic overexpression of GADD45α during repair increases the HR-H fraction of cells (hypomethylated repairedDNA), without altering the recombination frequency. Conversely, silencing of GADD45α increases methylation of the recombined segment and amplifies the HR-L expressor (hypermethylated) population. GADD45α specifically interacts with the catalytic site of DNMT1 and inhibits methylation activity in vitro. We propose that double-strand DNA damage and the resulting HR process involves precise, strand selected DNA methylation by DNMT1 that is regulated by GADD45α. Since GADD45α binds with high avidity to hemimethylated DNA intermediates, it may also provide a barrier to spreading of methylation during or after HR repair. PMID:22135303

Approaches to visualise the dynamics of the DNA lesion processing substantially contributes to the understanding of the hierarchical organisation of the DNA damage response pathways. Charged particle irradiation has recently emerged as a tool to generate discrete sites of subnuclear damage by its means of extremely localised dose deposition at low energies, thus facilitating the spatiotemporal analysis of repair events. In addition, they are of high interest for risk estimations of human space exploration (e.g. mars mission) in the high energy regime (HZE). In this short review we will give examples for the application of charged particle irradiation to study spatiotemporal aspects of DNA damage recognition and repair in the context of recent achievements in this field. Beamline microscopy allows determining the exact kinetics of repair-related proteins after irradiation with different charged particles that induce different lesion densities. The classification into fast recruited proteins like DNA-PK or XRCC1 or slower recruited ones like 53BP1 or MDC1 helps to establish the hierarchical organisation of damage recognition and subsequent repair events. Additionally, motional analysis of DNA lesions induced by traversing particles proved information about the mobility of DSBs. Increased mobility or the absence of large scale motion has direct consequences on the formation of chromosomal translocations and, thus, on mechanisms of cancer formation. Charged particle microbeams offer the interesting perspective of precise nuclear or subnuclear targeting with a defined number of ions, avoiding the Poisson distribution of traversals inherent to broad beam experiments. With the help of the microbeam, geometrical patterns of traversing ions can be applied facilitating the analysis of spatial organisation of repair. PMID:19944777

When male mice are exposed to chemical agents that reach the germ cells several outcomes are possible in terms of the germ cell unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) response and removal of DNA adducts. It is possible that: the chemical binds to the DNA and induces a UDS response with concomittant removal of DNA adducts; the chemical binds to the DNA but no UDS response is induced; or the chemical does not bind to DNA and no UDS is induced. Many mutagens have been shown to induce a UDS response in postgonial germ cell stages of the male mouse up through midspermatids, but the relationship between this UDS and the repair of genetic damage within the germ cells is still unknown. While some mutagens appear to have an effect only in germ-cell stages where no UDS occurs, others are able to induce genetic damage in stages where UDS has been induced.

DNA double stranded breaks (DSBs) are one of the most deleterious types of DNA lesions. The main pathways responsible for repairing these breaks in eukaryotic cells are homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). However, a third group of still poorly characterized DSB repair pathways, collectively termed microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ), relies on short homologies for the end-joining process. Here, we constructed GFP reporter assays to characterize and distinguish MMEJ variant pathways, namely the simple MMEJ and the DNA synthesis-dependent (SD)-MMEJ mechanisms. Transfection of these assay vectors in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and characterization of the repairedDNA sequences indicated that while simple MMEJ is able to mediate relatively efficient DSB repair if longer microhomologies are present, the majority of DSBs were repaired using the highly error-prone SD-MMEJ pathway. To validate the involvement of DNA synthesis in the repair process, siRNA knock-down of different genes proposed to play a role in MMEJ were performed, revealing that the knock-down of DNA polymerase θ inhibited DNA end resection and repair through simple MMEJ, thus favoring the other repair pathway. Overall, we conclude that this approach provides a convenient assay to study MMEJ-related DNArepair pathways. PMID:26657630

Growing evidence suggests that DNArepair capacity is an important factor in cancer risk and is therefore essential to assess. Immunochemical assays are amenable to the detection of repair products in complex matrices, such as urine, facilitating noninvasive measurements, although diet and extra-DNA sources of lesion can confound interpretation. The production of single-stranded, lesion-containing DNA oligomers characterises nucleotide excision repair (NER) and hence defines the repair pathway from which a lesion may be derived. Herein we describe the characterisation of a monoclonal antibody which recognises guanine moieties in single-stranded DNA. Application of this antibody in ELISA, demonstrated such oligomers in supernatants from repair-proficient cells post-insult. Testing of urine samples from volunteers demonstrated a relationship between oligomer levels and two urinary DNA damage products, thymine dimers and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine, supporting our hypothesis that NER gives rise to lesion-containing oligomers which are specific targets for the investigation of DNArepair. PMID:11374895

We hypothesize that chronic exposure to environmental toxicants can induce genetic damage causing DNArepair deficiencies and leading to the postulated mutator phenotype of carcinogenesis. To test our hypothesis, a host cell reactivation (HCR) assay was used in which pCMVcat plasmids were damaged with UV light (175, 350 J/m{sup 2} UV light), inactivating the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene, and then transfected into lymphocytes. Transfected lymphocytes were therefore challenged to repair the damaged plasmids, reactivating the reporter gene. Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Gaucher cell lines were used as positive and negative controls for the HCR assay. The Gaucher cell line repaired normally but XP cell lines demonstrated lower repair activity. Additionally, the repair activity of the XP heterozygous cell line showed intermediate repair compared to the homozygous XP and Gaucher cells. We used HCR to measure the effects of benzene exposure on 12 exposed and 8 nonexposed workers from a local benzene plant. Plasmids 175 J/m{sup 2} and 350 J/m{sup 2} were repaired with a mean frequency of 66% and 58%, respectively, in control workers compared to 71% and 62% in exposed workers. Conversely, more of the exposed workers were grouped into the reduced repair category than controls. These differences in repair capacity between exposed and control workers were, however, not statistically significant. The lack of significant differences between the exposed and control groups may be due to extremely low exposure to benzene (<0.3 ppm), small population size, or a lack of benzene genotoxicity at these concentrations. These results are consistent with a parallel hprt gene mutation assay. 26 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

We hypothesize that chronic exposure to environmental toxicants can induce genetic damage causing DNArepair deficiencies and leading to the postulated mutator phenotype of carcinogenesis. To test our hypothesis, a host cell reactivation (HCR) assay was used in which pCMVcat plasmids were damaged with UV light (175, 350 J/m2 UV light), inactivating the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene, and then transfected into lymphocytes. Transfected lymphocytes were therefore challenged to repair the damaged plasmids, reactivating the reporter gene. Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Gaucher cell lines were used as positive and negative controls for the HCR assay. The Gaucher cell line repaired normally but XP cell lines demonstrated lower repair activity. Additionally, the repair activity of the XP heterozygous cell line showed intermediate repair compared to the homozygous XP and Gaucher cells. We used HCR to measure the effects of benzene exposure on 12 exposed and 8 nonexposed workers from a local benzene plant. Plasmids 175 J/m2 and 350 J/m2 were repaired with a mean frequency of 66% and 58%, respectively, in control workers compared to 71% and 62% in exposed workers. Conversely, more of the exposed workers were grouped into the reduced repair category than controls. These differences in repair capacity between exposed and control workers were, however, not statistically significant. The lack of significant differences between the exposed and control groups may be due to extremely low exposure to benzene (< 0.3 ppm), small population size, or a lack of benzene genotoxicity at these concentrations. These results are consistent with a parallel hprt gene mutation assay. PMID:8781377

Numerous human disorders, including Cockayne syndrome, UV-sensitive syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum, and trichothiodystrophy, result from the mutation of genes encoding molecules important for nucleotide excision repair. Here, we describe a syndrome in which the cardinal clinical features include short stature, hearing loss, premature aging, telangiectasia, neurodegeneration, and photosensitivity, resulting from a homozygous missense (p.Ser228Ile) sequence alteration of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). PCNA is a highly conserved sliding clamp protein essential for DNA replication and repair. Due to this fundamental role, mutations in PCNA that profoundly impair protein function would be incompatible with life. Interestingly, while the p.Ser228Ile alteration appeared to have no effect on protein levels or DNA replication, patient cells exhibited marked abnormalities in response to UV irradiation, displaying substantial reductions in both UV survival and RNA synthesis recovery. The p.Ser228Ile change also profoundly altered PCNA’s interaction with Flap endonuclease 1 and DNA Ligase 1, DNA metabolism enzymes. Together, our findings detail a mutation of PCNA in humans associated with a neurodegenerative phenotype, displaying clinical and molecular features common to other DNArepair disorders, which we showed to be attributable to a hypomorphic amino acid alteration. PMID:24911150

This essay examines the possibility of merging the mutation theory of cancer with the hypothesis that cancer is a change in the state of the differentiation of cells. It is suggested that during normal development DNA rearrangements occur, concerning genes which code for differentiation specific cell communication proteins. These proteins are responsible for the proper functioning of growth control in a multicellular organism. DNA-damaging agents — mutagens — induce DNArepair enzymes, some of which may catalyse illegitimate genome rearrangements, thus leading to a change of the balance between growth and differentiation. A cell with a selective advantage may arise and become the origin of a tumor.

Genetic integrity in proliferating cells is guaranteed by the harmony of DNA replication, appropriate DNArepair, and segregation of the duplicated genome. Breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 is a unique tumor suppressor that is involved in all three processes. Hence, it is critical in genome maintenance. The functions of BRCA2 in DNArepair and homology-directed recombination (HDR) have been reviewed numerous times. Here, I will briefly go through the functions of BRCA2 in HDR and focus on the emerging roles of BRCA2 in telomere homeostasis and mitosis, then discuss how BRCA2 exerts distinct functions in a cell-cycle specific manner in the maintenance of genomic integrity. - Highlights: • BRCA2 is a multifaceted tumor suppressor and is crucial in genetic integrity. • BRCA2 exerts distinct functions in cell cycle-specific manner. • Mitotic kinases regulate diverse functions of BRCA2 in mitosis and cytokinesis.

MutY homologue (MYH) is a DNA glycosylase which excises adenine paired with the oxidative lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG, or G(o)) during base excision repair (BER). Base excision by MYH results in an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site in the DNA where the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone remains intact. A key feature of MYH activity is its physical interaction and coordination with AP endonuclease I (APE1), which subsequently nicks DNA 5' to the AP site. Because AP sites are mutagenic and cytotoxic, they must be processed by APE1 immediately after the action of MYH glycosylase. Our recent reports show that the interdomain connector (IDC) of human MYH (hMYH) maintains interactions with hAPE1 and the human checkpoint clamp Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) complex. In this study, we used NMR chemical shift perturbation experiments to determine hMYH-binding site on hAPE1. Chemical shift perturbations indicate that the hMYH IDC peptide binds to the DNA-binding site of hAPE1 and an additional site which is distal to the APE1 DNA-binding interface. In these two binding sites, N212 and Q137 of hAPE1 are key mediators of the MYH/APE1 interaction. Intriguingly, despite the fact that hHus1 and hAPE1 both interact with the MYH IDC, hHus1 does not compete with hAPE1 for binding to hMYH. Rather, hHus1 stabilizes the hMYH/hAPE1 complex both in vitro and in cells. This is consistent with a common theme in BER, namely that the assembly of protein-DNA complexes enhances repair by efficiently coordinating multiple enzymatic steps while simultaneously minimizing the release of harmful repair intermediates. PMID:24209961

MutY homologue (MYH) is a DNA glycosylase which excises adenine paired with the oxidative lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG, or G°) during base excision repair (BER). Base excision by MYH results in an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site in the DNA where the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone remains intact. A key feature of MYH activity is its physical interaction and coordination with AP endonuclease I (APE1), which subsequently nicks DNA 5' to the AP site. Because AP sites are mutagenic and cytotoxic, they must be processed by APE1 immediately after the action of MYH glycosylase. Our recent reports show that the interdomain connector (IDC) of human MYH (hMYH) maintains interactions with hAPE1 and the human checkpoint clamp Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) complex. In this study, we used NMR chemical shift perturbation experiments to determine hMYH-binding site on hAPE1. Chemical shift perturbations indicate that the hMYH IDC peptide binds to the DNA-binding site of hAPE1 and an additional site which is distal to the APE1 DNA-binding interface. In these two binding sites, N212 and Q137 of hAPE1 are key mediators of the MYH/APE1 interaction. Intriguingly, despite the fact that hHus1 and hAPE1 both interact with the MYH IDC, hHus1 does not compete with hAPE1 for binding to hMYH. Rather, hHus1 stabilizes the hMYH/hAPE1 complex both in vitro and in cells. This is consistent with a common theme in BER, namely that the assembly of protein-DNA complexes enhances repair by efficiently coordinating multiple enzymatic steps while simultaneously minimizing the release of harmful repair intermediates. PMID:24209961

Photolyases repair the UV-induced pyrimidine dimers in damage DNA with high efficiency, through a cylic light-driven electron transfer radical mechanism. We report here our systematic studies of the repair dynamics in E. coli photolyase with mutation of five active-site residues. The significant loss of repair efficiency by the mutation indicates that those active-site residues play an important role in the DNArepair by photolyase. To understand how the active-site residues modulate the efficiency, we mapped out the entire evolution of each elementary step during the repair in those photolyase mutants with femtosecond resolution. We completely analyzed the electron transfer dynamics using the Sumi-Marcus model. The results suggest that photolyase controls the critical electron transfer and the ring-splitting of pyrimidine dimer through modulation of the redox potentials and reorganization energies, and stabilization of the anionic intermediates, maintaining the dedicated balance of all the reaction steps and achieving the maximum function activity.

Summary Replication Protein A (RPA), the major single-stranded DNA-binding protein in eukaryotic cells, is required for processing of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) intermediates found in replication, repair and recombination. Recent studies have shown that RPA binding to ssDNA is highly dynamic and that more than high-affinity binding is needed for function. Analysis of DNA binding mutants identified forms of RPA with reduced affinity for ssDNA that are fully active, and other mutants with higher affinity that are inactive. Single molecule studies showed that while RPA binds ssDNA with high affinity, the RPA complex can rapidly diffuse along ssDNA and be displaced by other proteins that act on ssDNA. Finally, dynamic DNA binding allows RPA to prevent error-prone repair of double-stranded breaks and promote error-free repair. Together, these findings suggest a new paradigm where RPA acts as a first responder at sites with ssDNA, thereby actively coordinatingDNArepair and DNA synthesis. PMID:25171654

Predictions from biophysical models of interactions of radiation tracks with cellular DNA indicate that clustered DNA damage sites, defined as two or more lesions formed within one or two helical turns of the DNA by passage of a single radiation track, are formed in mammalian cells. These complex DNA damage sites are regarded as a signature of ionizing radiation exposure particularly as the likelihood of clustered damage sites arising endogenously is low. For instance, it was predicted from biophysical modelling that 30-40% of low LET-induced double strand breaks (DSB), a form of clustered damage, are complex with the yield increasing to >90% for high LET radiation, consistent with the reduced reparability of DSB with increasing ionization density of the radiation. The question arises whether the increased biological effects such as mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and lethality is in part related to DNA damage complexity and/or spatial distribution of the damage sites, which may lead to small DNA fragments. With particle radiation it is also important to consider not only delta-rays which may cause clustered damaged sites and may be highly mutagenic but the non-random spatial distribution of DSB which may lead to deletions. In this overview I will concentrate on the molecular aspects of the variation of the complexity of DNA damage on radiation quality and the challenges this complexity presents the DNA damage repair pathways. I will draw on data from micro-irradiations which indicate that the repair of DSBs by non-homologous end joining is highly regulated with pathway choice and kinetics of repair dependent on the chemical complexity of the DSB. In summary the aim is to emphasis the link between the spatial distribution of energy deposition events related to the track, the molecular products formed and the consequence of damage complexity contributing to biological effects and to present some of the outstanding molecular challenges with particle radiation.

Transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TCR) accelerates the removal of noncoding lesions from the template strand of active genes, and hence contributes to genome-wide variations in mutation frequency. Current models for TCR suppose that a lesion must cause RNA polymerase (RNAP) to stall if it is to be a substrate for accelerated repair. We have examined the substrate requirements for TCR using a system in which transcription stalling and damage location can be uncoupled. We show that Mfd-dependent TCR in bacteria involves the formation of a damage search complex that can detect lesions downstream of a stalled RNAP, and that the strand specificity of the accelerated repair pathway is independent of the requirement for a lesion to stall RNAP. We also show that an ops (operon polarity suppressor) transcription pause site, which causes backtracking of RNAP, can promote the repair of downstream lesions when those lesions do not themselves cause the polymerase to stall. Our findings indicate that the transcription-repair coupling factor Mfd, which is an ATP-dependent superfamily 2 helicase that binds to RNAP, continues to translocate along DNA after RNAP has been displaced until a lesion in the template strand is located. The discovery that pause sites can promote the repair of nonstalling lesions suggests that TCR pathways may play a wider role in modulating mutation frequencies in different parts of the genome than has previously been suspected. PMID:24554077

Triple-helix DNA structures can form endogenously at mirror repeat polypurine/polypyrimidine sequences or by introduction of triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs). Recent evidence suggests that triple helices are sources of genetic instability, and are subject to increased rates of mutagenesis and recruitment of repair factors. Indeed, observations using TFOs suggest that triple helices provoke a variety of biological processes which can be harnessed to modulate gene expression and induce heritable changes in targeted genes. This review surveys the biological applications of TFOs, with particular attention to their recombinogenic and mutagenic potential, and summarizes available evidence for the mechanism of triplex and triplex-associated repair. PMID:17485375

The ability of cells to detect and repairDNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is dependent on reorganization of the surrounding chromatin structure by chromatin remodeling complexes. These complexes promote access to the site of DNA damage, facilitate processing of the damaged DNA and, importantly, are essential to repackage the repairedDNA. Here, we will review the chromatin remodeling steps that occur immediately after DSB production and that prepare the damaged chromatin template for processing by the DSB repair machinery. DSBs promote rapid accumulation of repressive complexes, including HP1, the NuRD complex, H2A.Z and histone methyltransferases at the DSB. This shift to a repressive chromatin organization may be important to inhibit local transcription and limit mobility of the break and to maintain the DNA ends in close contact. Subsequently, the repressive chromatin is rapidly dismantled through a mechanism involving dynamic exchange of the histone variant H2A.Z. H2A.Z removal at DSBs alters the acidic patch on the nucleosome surface, promoting acetylation of the H4 tail (by the NuA4-Tip60 complex) and shifting the chromatin to a more open structure. Further, H2A.Z removal promotes chromatin ubiquitination and recruitment of additional DSB repair proteins to the break. Modulation of the nucleosome surface and nucleosome function during DSB repair therefore plays a vital role in processing of DNA breaks. Further, the nucleosome surface may function as a central hub during DSB repair, directing specific patterns of histone modification, recruiting DNArepair proteins and modulating chromatin packing during processing of the damaged DNA template. PMID:26625977

The currently available arsenal of anticancer modalities includes many DNA damaging agents that can kill malignant cells. However, efficient DNArepair mechanisms protect both healthy and cancer cells against the effects of treatment and contribute to the development of drug resistance. Therefore, anti-cancer treatments based on inflicting DNA damage can benefit from inhibition of DNArepair. Hyperthermia - treatment at elevated temperature - considerably affects DNArepair, among other cellular processes, and can thus sensitize (cancer) cells to DNA damaging agents. This effect has been known and clinically applied for many decades, but how heat inhibits DNArepair and which pathways are targeted has not been fully elucidated. In this review we attempt to summarize the known effects of hyperthermia on DNArepair pathways relevant in clinical treatment of cancer. Furthermore, we outline the relationships between the effects of heat on DNArepair and sensitization of cells to various DNA damaging agents. PMID:26245485

Many current chemotherapies function by damaging genomic DNA in rapidly dividing cells ultimately leading to cell death. This therapeutic approach differentially targets cancer cells that generally display rapid cell division compared to normal tissue cells. However, although these treatments are initially effective in arresting tumor growth and reducing tumor burden, resistance and disease progression eventually occur. A major mechanism underlying this resistance is increased levels of cellular DNArepair. Most cells have complex mechanisms in place to repairDNA damage that occurs due to environmental exposures or normal metabolic processes. These systems, initially overwhelmed when faced with chemotherapy induced DNA damage, become more efficient under constant selective pressure and as a result chemotherapies become less effective. Thus, inhibiting DNArepair pathways using target specific small molecule inhibitors may overcome cellular resistance to DNA damaging chemotherapies. Non-homologous end joining a major mechanism for the repair of double-strand breaks (DSB) in DNA is regulated in part by the serine/threonine kinase, DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). The DNA-PK holoenzyme acts as a scaffold protein tethering broken DNA ends and recruiting other repair molecules. It also has enzymatic activity that may be involved in DNA damage signaling. Because of its’ central role in repair of DSBs, DNA-PK has been the focus of a number of small molecule studies. In these studies specific DNA-PK inhibitors have shown efficacy in synergizing chemotherapies in vitro. However, compounds currently known to specifically inhibit DNA-PK are limited by poor pharmacokinetics: these compounds have poor solubility and have high metabolic lability in vivo leading to short serum half-lives. Future improvement in DNA-PK inhibition will likely be achieved by designing new molecules based on the recently reported crystallographic structure of DNA-PK. Computer based drug

We investigate the relaxation dynamics of long DNA molecules confined in micro- and nano-channels with Brownian dynamics simulations. Prior experiment by Reisner et al. found that the stretch fluctuation correlation time (trelax) of DNA molecules in nanochannels increases as the channel height (H) decreases for H greater than the DNA Kuhn length (σk), and trelax decreases as H decreases for H DNA translocation through nanopores and nanochannels are discussed.

Purpose of review To provide an overview on the present understanding of roles of oxidative DNA damage repair in cell signaling underlying bronchoconstriction common to, but not restricted to various forms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Recent findings Bronchoconstriction is a tightening of smooth muscle surrounding the bronchi and bronchioles with consequent wheezing and shortness of breath. Key stimuli include air pollutants, viral infections, allergens, thermal and osmotic changes, and shear stress of mucosal epithelium, triggering a wide range of cellular, vascular and neural events. Although activation of nerve fibers, the role of G-proteins, protein kinases and Ca++, and molecular interaction within contracting filaments of muscle are well defined, the overarching mechanisms by which a wide range of stimuli initiate these events are not fully understood. Many, if not all, stimuli increase levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are signaling and oxidatively modifying macromolecules, including DNA. The primary ROS target in DNA is guanine, and 8-oxoguanine is one of the most abundant base lesions. It is repaired by 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase1 (OGG1) during base excision repair processes. The product, free 8-oxoG base, is bound by OGG1 with high affinity, and the complex then functions as an activator of small GTPases, triggering pathways for inducing gene expression and contraction of intracellular filaments in mast and smooth muscle cells. Summary Oxidative DNA damage repair-mediated cell activation signaling result in gene expression that “primes” the mucosal epithelium and submucosal tissues to generate mediators of airway smooth muscle contractions. PMID:26694039

Oocyte aging has a significant impact on reproductive outcomes both quantitatively and qualitatively. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the age-related decline in reproductive success have not been fully addressed. BRCA is known to be involved in homologous DNA recombination and plays an essential role in double-strand DNA break repair. Given the growing body of laboratory and clinical evidence, we performed a systematic review on the current understanding of the role of DNArepair in human reproduction. We find that BRCA mutations negatively affect ovarian reserve based on convincing evidence from in vitro and in vivo results and prospective studies. Because decline in the function of the intact gene occurs at an earlier age, women with BRCA1 mutations exhibit accelerated ovarian aging, unlike those with BRCA2 mutations. However, because of the still robust function of the intact allele in younger women and because of the masking of most severe cases by prophylactic oophorectomy or cancer, it is less likely one would see an effect of BRCA mutations on fertility until later in reproductive age. The impact of BRCA2 mutations on reproductive function may be less visible because of the delayed decline in the function of normal BRCA2 allele. BRCA1 function and ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)-mediated DNArepair may also be important in the pathogenesis of age-induced increase in aneuploidy. BRCA1 is required for meiotic spindle assembly, and cohesion function between sister chromatids is also regulated by ATM family member proteins. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest the implication of BRCA and DNArepair malfunction in ovarian aging. PMID:26224004

Current evidence suggests that the complex nature of mammalian chromatin can result in the concealment of DNA damage from repair enzymes and their co-factors. Recently it has been proposed that the acetylation of histone proteins in chromatin may provide a surveillance system whereby damaged regions of DNA become exposed due to changes in chromatin accessibility. This hypothesis has been tested by: (i) using n-butyrate to induce hyperacetylation in human adenocarcinoma (HT29) cells; (ii) monitoring the enzymatic accessibility of chromatin in permeabilised cells; (iii) measuring u.v. repair-associated nicking of DNA in intact cells and (iv) determining the effects of n-butyrate on cellular sensitivity to DNA damaging agents. The results indicate that the accessibility of chromatin to Micrococcus luteus u.v. endonuclease is enhanced by greater than 2-fold in n-butyrate-treated cells and that there is a corresponding increase in u.v. repair incision rates in intact cells exposed to the drug. Non-toxic levels of n-butyrate induce a block to G1 phase transit and there is a significant growth delay on removal of the drug. Resistance of HT29 cells to u.v.-radiation and adriamycin is enhanced in n-butyrate-treated cells whereas X-ray sensitivity is increased. Although changes in the responses of cells to DNA damaging agents must be considered in relation to the effects of n-butyrate on growth rate and cell-cycle distribution, the results are not inconsistent with the proposal that increased enzymatic-accessibility/repair is biologically favourable for the resistance of cells to u.v.-radiation damage. Overall the results support the suggested operation of a histone acetylation-based chromatin surveillance system in human cells.

Objective Formaldehyde is still widely employed as a universal crosslinking agent, preservative and disinfectant, despite its proven carcinogenicity in occupationally exposed workers. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to understand the possible impact of low-dose formaldehyde exposures in the general population. Due to the concomitant occurrence of multiple indoor and outdoor toxicants, we tested how formaldehyde, at micromolar concentrations, interferes with general DNA damage recognition and excision processes that remove some of the most frequently inflicted DNA lesions. Methodology/Principal Findings The overall mobility of the DNA damage sensors UV-DDB (ultraviolet-damaged DNA-binding) and XPC (xeroderma pigmentosum group C) was analyzed by assessing real-time protein dynamics in the nucleus of cultured human cells exposed to non-cytotoxic (<100 μM) formaldehyde concentrations. The DNA lesion-specific recruitment of these damage sensors was tested by monitoring their accumulation at local irradiation spots. DNArepair activity was determined in host-cell reactivation assays and, more directly, by measuring the excision of DNA lesions from chromosomes. Taken together, these assays demonstrated that formaldehyde obstructs the rapid nuclear trafficking of DNA damage sensors and, consequently, slows down their relocation to DNA damage sites thus delaying the excision repair of target lesions. A concentration-dependent effect relationship established a threshold concentration of as low as 25 micromolar for the inhibition of DNA excision repair. Conclusions/Significance A main implication of the retarded repair activity is that low-dose formaldehyde may exert an adjuvant role in carcinogenesis by impeding the excision of multiple mutagenic base lesions. In view of this generally disruptive effect on DNArepair, we propose that formaldehyde exposures in the general population should be further decreased to help reducing cancer risks. PMID:24722772

The protein XRCC1 has no inherent enzymatic activity, and is believed to function in base excision repair as a dedicated scaffold component that coordinates other DNArepair factors. Repair foci clearly represent the recruitment and accumulation of DNArepair factors at sites of damage; however, uncertainties remain regarding their organization in the context of nuclear architecture and their biological significance. Here we identified the chromatin remodeling factor SNF2H/SMARCA5 as a novel binding partner of XRCC1, with their interaction dependent on the casein kinase 2-mediated constitutive phosphorylation of XRCC1. The proficiency of repairing H2O2-induced damage was strongly impaired by SNF2H knock-down, and similar impairment was observed with knock-down of both XRCC1 and SNF2H simultaneously, suggesting their role in a common repair pathway. Most SNF2H exists in the nuclear matrix fraction, forming salt extraction-resistant foci-like structures in unchallenged nuclei. Remarkably, damage-induced formation of both PAR and XRCC1 foci depended on SNF2H, and the PAR and XRCC1 foci co-localized with the SNF2H foci. We propose a model in which a base excision repair complex containing damaged chromatin is recruited to specific locations in the nuclear matrix for repair, with this recruitment mediated by XRCC1-SNF2H interaction. PMID:27268481

DNA is continuously attacked by reactive species that can affect its structure and function severely. Structural modifications to DNA mainly arise from modifications in its bases that primarily occur due to their exposure to different reactive species. Apart from this, DNA strand break, inter- and intra-strand crosslinks and DNA-protein crosslinks can also affect the structure of DNA significantly. These structural modifications are involved in mutation, cancer and many other diseases. As it has the least oxidation potential among all the DNA bases, guanine is frequently attacked by reactive species, producing a plethora of lethal lesions. Fortunately, living cells are evolved with intelligent enzymes that continuously protect DNA from such damages. This review provides an overview of different guanine lesions formed due to reactions of guanine with different reactive species. Involvement of these lesions in inter- and intra-strand crosslinks, DNA-protein crosslinks and mutagenesis are discussed. How certain enzymes recognize and repair different guanine lesions in DNA are also presented. PMID:22750987

Although hereditary breast cancers have defects in the DNA damage response that result in genomic instability, DNArepair abnormalities in sporadic breast cancers have not been extensively characterized. Recently we showed that, relative to non-tumorigenic breast epithelial MCF10A cells, estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-positive (ER/PR+) MCF7 breast cancer cells have reduced steady state levels of DNA ligase IV, a component of the major DNA-PK dependent non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway, whereas the steady state level of DNA ligase IIIα, a component of the highly error-prone alternative NHEJ (ALT NHEJ) pathway, is increased. Here we show that tamoxifen- and aromatase-resistant derivatives of MCF7 cells and ER/PR- cells have even higher steady state levels of DNA ligase IIIα and increased levels of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1), another ALT NHEJ component. This results in increased dependence upon microhomology-mediated ALT NHEJ to repairDNA double strand breaks (DSB)s and the accumulation of chromosomal deletions. Notably, therapy-resistant derivatives of MCF7 cells and ER/PR- cells exhibited significantly increased sensitivity to a combination of PARP and DNA ligase III inhibitors that increased the number of DSBs. Biopsies from ER/PR- tumors had elevated levels of ALT NHEJ and reduced levels of DNA-PK-dependent NHEJ factors. Thus, our results show that ALT NHEJ is a novel therapeutic target in breast cancers that are resistant to frontline therapies and suggest that changes in NHEJ protein levels may serve as biomarkers to identify tumors that are candidates for this therapeutic approach. PMID:22112941

The knowledge of DNArepair in a target species is of first importance as it is the primary line of defense against genotoxicants, and a better knowledge of DNArepair capacity in fish could help to interpret genotoxicity data and/or assist in the choice of target species, developmental stage and tissues to focus on, both for environmental biomonitoring studies and DNArepair testing. This review focuses in a first part on what is presently known on a mechanistic basis, about the various DNArepair systems in fish, in vivo and in established cell lines. Data on base excision repair (BER), direct reversal with O⁶-alkylguanine transferase and double strand breaks repair, although rather scarce, are being reviewed, as well as nucleotide excision repair (NER) and photoreactivation repair (PER), which are by far the most studied repair mechanisms in fish. Most of these repair mechanisms seem to be strongly species and tissue dependent; they also depend on the developmental stage of the organisms. BER is efficient in vivo, although no data has been found on in vitro models. NER activity is quite low or even inexistent depending on the studies; however this lack is partly compensated by a strong PER activity, especially in early developmental stage. In a second part, a survey of the ecotoxicological studies integrating DNArepair as a parameter responding to single or mixture of contaminant is realized. Three main approaches are being used: the measurement of DNArepair gene expression after exposure, although it has not yet been clearly established whether gene expression is indicative of repair capacity; the monitoring of DNA damage removal by following DNArepair kinetics; and the modulation of DNArepair activity following exposure in situ, in order to assess the impact of exposure history on DNArepair capacity. Since all DNArepair processes are possible targets for environmental pollutants, we can also wonder at which extent such a modulation of repair capacities

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) guards the integrity of the genome in virtually all cells. It contributes about 1000-fold to the overall fidelity of replication and targets mispaired bases that arise through replication errors, during homologous recombination, and as a result of DNA damage. Cells deficient in MMR have a mutator phenotype in which the rate of spontaneous mutation is greatly elevated, and they frequently exhibit microsatellite instability at mono- and dinucleotide repeats. The importance of MMR in mutation avoidance is highlighted by the finding that defects in MMR predispose individuals to hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. In addition to its role in postreplication repair, the MMR machinery serves to police homologous recombination events and acts as a barrier to genetic exchange between species. PMID:14527292

Exogenous chemicals may produce DNA methylation that is potentially toxic to living systems. Methylated DNA bases are difficult to detect with biosensors because the methyl group is small and chemically inert. In this report, a label-free photoelectrochemical sensor was developed for the selective detection of chemically methylated bases in DNA films. The sensor employed two DNArepair enzymes, human alkyladenine DNA glycosylase and human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, to convert DNA methylation sites in DNA films on indium tin oxide electrodes into strand breaks. A DNA intercalator, Ru(bpy)2(dppz)(2+) (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine) was then used as the photoelectrochemical signal indicator to detect the DNA strand breaks. Its photocurrent signal was found to correlate inversely with the amount of 3-methyladenines (metAde) produced with a methylating agent, methylmethane sulfonate (MMS). The sensor detected the methylated bases produced with as low as 1 mM MMS, at which concentration the amount of metAde on the sensor surface was estimated to be 0.5 pg, or 1 metAde in 1.6 × 10(5) normal bases. Other DNA base modification products, such as 5-methylcytosine and DNA adducts with ethyl and styrene groups did not attenuate the photocurrent, demonstrating good selectivity of the sensor. This strategy can be utilized to develop sensors for the detection of other modified DNA bases with specific DNArepair enzymes. PMID:23777269

Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) is a key protein in DNA replication and repair. The dynamics of replication and repair in live cells is usually studied introducing translational fusions of PCNA. To obviate the need for transfection and bypass the problem of difficult to transfect and/or short lived cells, we have now developed a cell permeable replication and/or repair marker. The design of this marker has three essential molecular components: (1) an optimized artificial PCNA binding peptide; (2) a cell-penetrating peptide, derived from the HIV-1 Trans Activator of Transcription (TAT); (3) an in vivo cleavable linker, linking the two peptides. The resulting construct was taken up by human, hamster and mouse cells within minutes of addition to the media. Inside the cells, the cargo separated from the vector peptide and bound PCNA effectively. Both replication and repair sites could be directly labeled in live cells making it the first in vivo cell permeable peptide marker for these two fundamental cellular processes. Concurrently, we also introduced a quick peptide based PCNA staining method as an alternative to PCNA antibodies for immunofluorescence applications. In summary, we present here a versatile tool to instantaneously label repair and replication processes in fixed and live cells. PMID:25484186

Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) is a key protein in DNA replication and repair. The dynamics of replication and repair in live cells is usually studied introducing translational fusions of PCNA. To obviate the need for transfection and bypass the problem of difficult to transfect and/or short lived cells, we have now developed a cell permeable replication and/or repair marker. The design of this marker has three essential molecular components: (1) an optimized artificial PCNA binding peptide; (2) a cell-penetrating peptide, derived from the HIV-1 Trans Activator of Transcription (TAT); (3) an in vivo cleavable linker, linking the two peptides. The resulting construct was taken up by human, hamster and mouse cells within minutes of addition to the media. Inside the cells, the cargo separated from the vector peptide and bound PCNA effectively. Both replication and repair sites could be directly labeled in live cells making it the first in vivo cell permeable peptide marker for these two fundamental cellular processes. Concurrently, we also introduced a quick peptide based PCNA staining method as an alternative to PCNA antibodies for immunofluorescence applications. In summary, we present here a versatile tool to instantaneously label repair and replication processes in fixed and live cells. PMID:25484186

Homologous recombination (HR) repair deficiency predisposes to cancer development, but also sensitizes cancer cells to DNA-damage-inducing therapeutics. Here we identify an HR-defect (HRD) gene signature, which can be used to functionally assess HR repair status without interrogating individual genetic alterations in cells. By using this HRD gene signature as a functional network analysis tool, we discover that simultaneous loss of two major tumor suppressors BRCA1 and PTEN extensively rewire the HR repair-deficient phenotype, which is found in cells with defects in either BRCA1 or PTEN alone. Moreover, the HRD gene signature serves as an effective drug discovery platform to identify agents targeting HR repair as potential chemo/radio-sensitizers. More importantly, this HRD gene signature is able to predict clinical outcomes across multiple cancer lineages. Our findings, therefore, provide a molecular profile of HR repair to assess its status at a functional network level, which can provide both biological insights and have clinical implications in cancer. PMID:24553445

A pooled analysis was conducted to examine the association between select variants in DNArepair genes and glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadliest form of adult brain tumors. Genetic data for approximately 1,000 glioblastoma multiforme cases and 2,000 controls were combined from four centers in the United States that have conducted case-control studies on adult glioblastoma multiforme, including the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of California at San Francisco. Twelve DNArepair single-nucleotide polymorphisms were selected for investigation in the pilot collaborative project. The C allele of the PARP1 rs1136410 variant was associated with a 20% reduction in risk for glioblastoma multiforme (odds ratio(CT or CC), 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.95). A 44% increase in risk for glioblastoma multiforme was found for individuals homozygous for the G allele of the PRKDC rs7003908 variant (odds ratio(GG), 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.84); there was a statistically significant trend (P = 0.009) with increasing number of G alleles. A significant, protective effect was found when three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (ERCC2 rs13181, ERCC1 rs3212986, and GLTSCR1 rs1035938) located near each other on chromosome 19 were modeled as a haplotype. The most common haplotype (AGC) was associated with a 23% reduction in risk (P = 0.03) compared with all other haplotypes combined. Few studies have reported on the associations between variants in DNArepair genes and brain tumors, and few specifically have examined their impact on glioblastoma multiforme. Our results suggest that common variation in DNArepair genes may be associated with risk for glioblastoma multiforme. PMID:19318434

A pooled analysis was conducted to examine the association between select variants in DNArepair genes and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and deadliest form of adult brain tumors. Genetic data for approximately 1,000 GBM cases and 2,000 controls were combined from four centers in the United States that have conducted case-control studies of adult GBM including the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of California at San Francisco. Twelve DNArepair SNPs were selected for investigation in the pilot collaborative project. The C allele of the PARP1 rs1136410 variant was associated with a 20% reduction in risk of GBM (ORCT or CC =0.80; 95%CI 0.67–0.95). A 44% increase in risk of GBM was found for individuals homozygous for the G allele of the PRKDC rs7003908 variant (ORGG 1.44; 95%CI 1.13–1.84); there was a statistically significant trend (p=0.009) with increasing number of G alleles. A significant, protective effect was found when 3 SNPs (ERCC2 rs13181, ERCC1 rs3212986, and GLTSCR1 rs1035938) located near each other on chromosome 19 were modeled as a haplotype. The most common haplotype (AGC) was associated with a 23% reduction in risk (p=0.03) compared to all other haplotypes combined. Few studies have reported on the associations between variants in DNArepair genes and brain tumors, and few specifically have examined their impact on GBMs. Our results suggest that common variation in DNArepair genes may be associated with risk of GBMs. PMID:19318434

DNA damage from exogenous and endogenous sources can promote mutations and cell death. Fortunately, cells contain DNArepair and damage signalling pathways to reduce the mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of DNA damage. The identification of specific DNArepair proteins and the coordination of DNArepair pathways after damage has been a central theme to the field of Genetic Toxicology and we have developed a tool for use in this area. We have produced 99 molecular bar-coded Escherichia coli gene-deletion mutants specific to DNArepair and damage signalling pathways, and each bar-coded mutant can be tracked in pooled format using bar-code specific microarrays. Our design adapted bar-codes developed for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Gene Deletion Project, which allowed us to utilize an available microarray product for pooled gene-exposure studies. Microarray-based screens were used for en masse identification of individual mutants sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). As expected, gene deletion mutants specific to direct, base excision, and recombinational DNArepair pathways were identified as MMS-sensitive in our pooled assay, thus validating our resource. We have demonstrated that molecular bar-codes designed for S. cerevisiae are transferable to E. coli, and that they can be used with pre-existing microarrays to perform competitive growth experiments. Further, when comparing microarray to traditional plate-based screens both over-lapping and distinct results were obtained, which is a novel technical finding, with discrepancies between the two approaches explained by differences in output measurements (DNA content verse cell mass). The microarray-based classification of Δtag and ΔdinG cells as depleted after MMS exposure, contrary to plate-based methods, led to the discovery that Δtag and ΔdinG cells show a filamentation phenotype after MMS exposure, thus accounting for the discrepancy. A novel biological finding is the observation that while ΔdinG cells

The post-meiotic phase of mouse spermatogenesis (spermiogenesis) is very sensitive to the genomic effects of environmental mutagens because as male germ cells form mature sperm they progressively lose the ability to repairDNA damage. We hypothesized that repeated exposures to mutagens during this repair-deficient phase result in the accumulation of heritable genomic damage in mouse sperm that leads to chromosomal aberrations in zygotes after fertilization. We used a combination of single or fractionated exposures to diepoxybutane (DEB), a component of tobacco smoke, to investigate how differential DNArepair efficiencies during the three weeks of spermiogenesis affected the accumulation of DEB-induced heritable damage in early spermatids (21-15 days before fertilization, dbf), late spermatids (14-8 dbf) and sperm (7- 1 dbf). Analysis of chromosomalaberrations in zygotic metaphases using PAINT/DAPI showed that late spermatids and sperm are unable to repair DEB-induced DNA damage as demonstrated by significant increases (P<0.001) in the frequencies of zygotes with chromosomal aberrations. Comparisons between single and fractionated exposures suggested that the DNArepair-deficient window during late spermiogenesis may be less than two weeks in the mouse and that during this repair-deficient window there is accumulation of DNA damage in sperm. Finally, the dose-response study in sperm indicated a linear response for both single and repeated exposures. These findings show that the differential DNArepair capacity of post-meioitic male germ cells has a major impact on the risk of paternally transmitted heritable damage and suggest that chronic exposures that may occur in the weeks prior to fertilization because of occupational or lifestyle factors (i.e, smoking) can lead to an accumulation of genetic damage in sperm and result in heritable chromosomal aberrations of paternal origin.

The post-meiotic phase of mouse spermatogenesis (spermiogenesis) is very sensitive to the genomic effects of environmental mutagens because as male germ cells form mature sperm they progressively lose the ability to repairDNA damage. We hypothesized that repeated exposures to mutagens during this repair-deficient phase result in the accumulation of heritable genomic damage in mouse sperm that leads to chromosomal aberrations in zygotes after fertilization. We used a combination of single or fractionated exposures to diepoxybutane (DEB), a component of tobacco smoke, to investigate how differential DNArepair efficiencies during the three weeks of spermiogenesis affected the accumulation of DEB-induced heritable damage in early spermatids (21-15 days before fertilization, dbf), late spermatids (14-8 dbf) and sperm (7-1 dbf). Analysis of chromosomal aberrations in zygotic metaphases using PAINT/DAPI showed that late spermatids and sperm are unable to repair DEB-induced DNA damage as demonstrated by significant increases (P<0.001) in the frequencies of zygotes with chromosomal aberrations. Comparisons between single and fractionated exposures suggested that the DNArepair-deficient window during late spermiogenesis may be less than two weeks in the mouse and that during this repair-deficient window there is accumulation of DNA damage in sperm. Finally, the dose-response study in sperm indicated a linear response for both single and repeated exposures. These findings show that the differential DNArepair capacity of post-meioitic male germ cells has a major impact on the risk of paternally transmitted heritable damage and suggest that chronic exposures that may occur in the weeks prior to fertilization because of occupational or lifestyle factors (i.e, smoking) can lead to an accumulation of genetic damage in sperm and result in heritable chromosomal aberrations of paternal origin.

The possible impact of long-term overexposure to ethanol was studied in a group of chronic alcoholics in the psychiatric hospital. The level of DNA methylation and unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) in lymphocytes and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in plasma were used as markers of injury caused by alcohol abuse. The data were correlated with plasma levels of some natural antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E) and vitamin B12. The following results were obtained. The degree of DNA methylation by MNU in lymphocytes was the same in the exposed and control groups under our experimental conditions. The DNA excision-repair capacity of lymphocytes measured as UDS was decreased in alcoholics (p less than 0.01) and LPO in plasma was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) as a consequence of alcohol overconsumption. By the simple regression method, a correlation was found between LPO and vitamin C levels (LPO = -0.078 x vit. C + 1.9; p less than 0.05) and between UDS and LPO values (UDS = -0.384 x LPO + 4.1; p less than 0.05). These results support the hypothesis of a connection of cell membrane status and DNA damage and repair and the possible role of active oxygen species in cell damage caused by ethanol. PMID:2067553

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy represent a confounding phenomenon in radiation oncology. These reactions are rare, and many have been associated with individuals with DNArepair disorders such as ataxia-telangiectasia and Nijmegen Breakage syndrome. A paucity of published data is available detailing such circumstances. This overview describes four exemplary situations, a comprehensive list of 32 additional cases, and some insights gleaned from this overall experience. Fanconi anemia was associated with more than one-half of the reports. The lowest dose given to a patient that resulted in a reaction was 3 Gy, given to an ataxia-telangiectasia patient. Most patients died within months of exposure. It is clear that the patients discussed in this report had complicated illnesses, in addition to cancer, and the radiotherapy administered was most likely their best option. However, the underlying DNArepair defects make conventional radiation doses dangerous. Our findings support previous wisdom that radiotherapy should either be avoided or the doses should be selected with great care in the case of these radiosensitive genotypes, which must be recognized by their characteristic phenotypes, until more rapid, reliable, and functional assays of DNArepair become available.

Adverse reactions to radiation therapy represent a confounding phenomenon in Radiation Oncology. These reactions are rare, and many have been associated with individuals with DNArepair disorders such as Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) and Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome (NBS). There is a paucity of literature detailing such circumstances. This overview describes four exemplary situations, a comprehensive list of 32 additional cases, and some insights gleaned from this overall experience. Fanconi Anemia was associated with over half of the reports. The lowest dose given to a patient that resulted in a reaction was 3 Gy, given to an A-T patient. Most patients died within months of exposure. It is clear that the patients discussed in this paper had complicated illnesses in addition to cancer, and the radiation therapy that administered was most likely their best option. However, the underlying DNArepair defects make conventional radiation therapy doses dangerous. Our review supports prior wisdom that radiation therapy should either be avoided, or doses should be selected with great care in the case of these radiosensitive genotypes which must be recognized with their characteristic phenotypes, until more rapid, reliable and functional assays of DNArepair become available. PMID:19616740

The endosymbiotic theory for the origin of eukaryotic cells proposes that genetic information can be transferred from mitochondria to the nucleus of a cell, and genes that are probably of mitochondrial origin have been found in nuclear chromosomes. Occasionally, short or rearranged sequences homologous to mitochondrial DNA are seen in the chromosomes of different organisms including yeast, plants and humans. Here we report a mechanism by which fragments of mitochondrial DNA, in single or tandem array, are transferred to yeast chromosomes under natural conditions during the repair of double-strand breaks in haploid mitotic cells. These repair insertions originate from noncontiguous regions of the mitochondrial genome. Our analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial genome indicates that the yeast nuclear genome does indeed contain several short sequences of mitochondrial origin which are similar in size and composition to those that repair double-strand breaks. These sequences are located predominantly in non-coding regions of the chromosomes, frequently in the vicinity of retrotransposon long terminal repeats, and appear as recent integration events. Thus, colonization of the yeast genome by mitochondrial DNA is an ongoing process. PMID:10573425

In the DNA damage response, many repair and signaling molecules mobilize rapidly at the sites of DNA double-strand breaks. This network of immediate responses is regulated at the level of posttranslational modifications that control the activation of DNA processing enzymes, protein kinases, and scaffold proteins to coordinateDNArepair and checkpoint signaling. Here we investigated the DNA damage-induced oligomeric transitions of the Sae2 protein, an important enzyme in the initiation of DNA double-strand break repair. Sae2 is a target of multiple phosphorylation events, which we identified and characterized in vivo in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both cell cycle-dependent and DNA damage-dependent phosphorylation sites in Sae2 are important for the survival of DNA damage, and the cell cycle-regulated modifications are required to prime the damage-dependent events. We found that Sae2 exists in the form of inactive oligomers that are transiently released into smaller active units by this series of phosphorylations. DNA damage also triggers removal of Sae2 through autophagy and proteasomal degradation, ensuring that active Sae2 is present only transiently in cells. Overall, this analysis provides evidence for a novel type of protein regulation where the activity of an enzyme is controlled dynamically by posttranslational modifications that regulate its solubility and oligomeric state. PMID:24344201

Base Excision Repair (BER) efficiently corrects the most common types of DNA damage in mammalian cells. Step-by-step coordination of BER is facilitated by multiple interactions between enzymes and accessory proteins involved. Here we characterize quantitatively a number of complexes formed by DNA polymerase β (Polβ), apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1), using fluorescence- and light scattering-based techniques. Direct physical interactions between the APE1-Polβ, APE1-TDP1, APE1-PARP1 and Polβ-TDP1 pairs have been detected and characterized for the first time. The combined results provide strong evidence that the most stable complex is formed between XRCC1 and Polβ. Model DNA intermediates of BER are shown to induce significant rearrangement of the Polβ complexes with XRCC1 and PARP1, while having no detectable influence on the protein–protein binding affinities. The strength of APE1 interaction with Polβ, XRCC1 and PARP1 is revealed to be modulated by BER intermediates to different extents, depending on the type of DNA damage. The affinity of APE1 for Polβ is higher in the complex with abasic site-containing DNA than after the APE1-catalyzed incision. Our findings advance understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying coordination and regulation of the BER process. PMID:26013813

Alkylating agents are frequently used as first-line chemotherapeutics for various newly diagnosed cancers. Disruption of genome integrity by such agents can lead to cell lethality if DNA lesions are not removed. Several DNArepair mechanisms participate in the recovery of mono- or bi-functional DNA alkylation. Thus, DNArepair capacity is correlated with the therapeutic response. Here, we assessed the function of novel water-soluble N-mustard BO-1055 (ureidomustin) in DNA damage response and repair mechanisms. As expected, BO-1055 induces ATM and ATR-mediated DNA damage response cascades, including downstream Chk1/Chk2 phosphorylation, S/G2 cell-cycle arrest, and cell death. Further investigation revealed that cell survival sensitivity to BO-1055 is comparable to that of mitomycin C. Both compounds require nucleotide excision repair and homologous recombination, but not non-homologous end-joining, to repair conventional cross-linking DNA damage. Interestingly and unlike mitomycin C and melphalan, MGMT activity was also observed in BO-1055 damage repair systems, which reflects the occurrence of O-alkyl DNA lesions. Combined treatment with ATM/ATR kinase inhibitors significantly increases BO-1055 sensitivity. Our study pinpoints that BO-1055 can be used for treating tumors that with deficient NER, HR, and MGMT DNArepair genes, or for synergistic therapy in tumors that DNA damage response have been suppressed. PMID:26208482

Alkylating agents are frequently used as first-line chemotherapeutics for various newly diagnosed cancers. Disruption of genome integrity by such agents can lead to cell lethality if DNA lesions are not removed. Several DNArepair mechanisms participate in the recovery of mono- or bi-functional DNA alkylation. Thus, DNArepair capacity is correlated with the therapeutic response. Here, we assessed the function of novel water-soluble N-mustard BO-1055 (ureidomustin) in DNA damage response and repair mechanisms. As expected, BO-1055 induces ATM and ATR-mediated DNA damage response cascades, including downstream Chk1/Chk2 phosphorylation, S/G2 cell-cycle arrest, and cell death. Further investigation revealed that cell survival sensitivity to BO-1055 is comparable to that of mitomycin C. Both compounds require nucleotide excision repair and homologous recombination, but not non-homologous end-joining, to repair conventional cross-linking DNA damage. Interestingly and unlike mitomycin C and melphalan, MGMT activity was also observed in BO-1055 damage repair systems, which reflects the occurrence of O-alkyl DNA lesions. Combined treatment with ATM/ATR kinase inhibitors significantly increases BO-1055 sensitivity. Our study pinpoints that BO-1055 can be used for treating tumors that with deficient NER, HR, and MGMT DNArepair genes, or for synergistic therapy in tumors that DNA damage response have been suppressed. PMID:26208482

Formaldehyde induces DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) in several experimental in vitro and in vivo test systems, as well as in exposed human workers. DPCs are repaired by several DNArepair pathways in different species, but the molecular understanding of DPC repair in human tissues...

Oxidative stress and defective DNArepair are major contributory factors in the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy cause oxidative DNA damage, consume antioxidant capacity, and impair DNArepair activity. These effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be contributory factors in the development of secondary malignancy in cancer survivors. Basal, H2O2-induced, and postrepair DNA damage; urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine level as a marker of oxidatively damaged DNA; and serum total antioxidant capacity were measured; XPD Lys751Gln, XRCC1 Arg399Gln, and XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphisms were analyzed in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors. Basal and H2O2-induced DNA damage were found to be higher in the ALL survivor group versus the control group, however, there was no significant difference between the other parameters. No association was found between the examined parameters and polymorphisms of XPD 751 and XRCC1 399 and both the groups. XRCC1 194Trp allele was found to be associated with a low level of postrepair DNA damage in the ALL survivors. In conclusion, basal DNA damage and susceptibility to oxidation are high in childhood ALL survivors. This situation which may easily lead to occurrence of a secondary cancer does not seem to be a result of deficient DNArepair. PMID:24577548

DNA-binding proteins search for specific targets via facilitated diffusion along a crowded genome. However, little is known about how crowded DNA modulates facilitated diffusion and target recognition. Here we use DNA curtains and single-molecule fluorescence imaging to investigate how Msh2–Msh3, a eukaryotic mismatch repair complex, navigates on crowded DNA. Msh2–Msh3 hops over nucleosomes and other protein roadblocks, but maintains sufficient contact with DNA to recognize a single lesion. In contrast, Msh2–Msh6 slides without hopping and is largely blocked by protein roadblocks. Remarkably, the Msh3-specific mispair-binding domain (MBD) licences a chimeric Msh2–Msh6(3MBD) to bypass nucleosomes. Our studies contrast how Msh2–Msh3 and Msh2–Msh6 navigate on a crowded genome and suggest how Msh2–Msh3 locates DNA lesions outside of replication-coupled repair. These results also provide insights into how DNArepair factors search for DNA lesions in the context of chromatin. PMID:26837705

Phage Mu transposes by two distinct pathways depending on the specific stage of its life cycle. A common strand transfer intermediate is resolved differentially in the two pathways. During lytic growth, the intermediate is resolved by replication of Mu initiated within the flanking target DNA; during integration of infecting Mu, it is resolved without replication, by removal and repair of DNA from a previous host that is still attached to the ends of the incoming Mu genome. We have discovered that the cryptic endonuclease activity reported for the isolated C-terminal domain of the transposase MuA [Wu Z, Chaconas G (1995) A novel DNA binding and nuclease activity in domain III of Mu transposase: Evidence for a catalytic region involved in donor cleavage. EMBO J 14:3835-3843], which is not observed in the full-length protein or in the assembled transpososome in vitro, is required in vivo for removal of the attached host DNA or "5'flap" after the infecting Mu genome has integrated into the E. coli chromosome. Efficient flap removal also requires the host protein ClpX, which is known to interact with the C-terminus of MuA to remodel the transpososome for replication. We hypothesize that ClpX constitutes part of a highly regulated mechanism that unmasks the cryptic nuclease activity of MuA specifically in the repair pathway. PMID:20167799

Why does a constant barrage of DNA damage lead to disease in some individuals, while others remain healthy? This article surveys current work addressing the implications of inter-individual variation in DNArepair capacity for human health, and discusses the status of DNArepair assays as potential clinical tools for personalized prevention or treatment of disease. In particular, we highlight research showing that there are significant inter-individual variations in DNARepair Capacity (DRC), and that measuring these differences provides important biological insight regarding disease susceptibility and cancer treatment efficacy. We emphasize work showing that it is important to measure repair capacity in multiple pathways, and that functional assays are required to fill a gap left by genome wide association studies, global gene expression and proteomics. Finally, we discuss research that will be needed to overcome barriers that currently limit the use of DNArepair assays in the clinic. PMID:24780560

Why does a constant barrage of DNA damage lead to disease in some individuals, while others remain healthy? This article surveys current work addressing the implications of inter-individual variation in DNArepair capacity for human health, and discusses the status of DNArepair assays as potential clinical tools for personalized prevention or treatment of disease. In particular, we highlight research showing that there are significant inter-individual variations in DNArepair capacity (DRC), and that measuring these differences provides important biological insight regarding disease susceptibility and cancer treatment efficacy. We emphasize work showing that it is important to measure repair capacity in multiple pathways, and that functional assays are required to fill a gap left by genome wide association studies, global gene expression and proteomics. Finally, we discuss research that will be needed to overcome barriers that currently limit the use of DNArepair assays in the clinic. PMID:24780560

The final weeks of male germ cell differentiation occur in aDNArepair-deficient environment and normal development depends on theability of the egg to repairDNA damage in the fertilizing sperm. Geneticdisruption of maternal DNA double-strand break repair pathways in micesignificantly increased the frequency of zygotes with chromosomalstructural aberrations after paternal exposure to ionizing radiation.These findings demonstrate that radiation-induced DNA sperm lesions arerepaired after fertilization by maternal factors and suggest that geneticvariation in maternal DNArepair can modulate the risk of early pregnancylosses and of children with chromosomal aberrations of paternalorigin.

DNA damage and repair are linked to cancer. DNA damage that is induced endogenously or from exogenous sources has the potential to result in mutations and genomic instability if not properly repaired, eventually leading to cancer. Inflammation is also linked to cancer. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONs) produced by inflammatory cells at sites of infection can induce DNA damage. RONs can also amplify inflammatory responses, leading to increased DNA damage. Here, we focus on the links between DNA damage, repair, and inflammation, as they relate to cancer. We examine the interplay between chronic inflammation, DNA damage and repair and review recent findings in this rapidly emerging field, including the links between DNA damage and the innate immune system, and the roles of inflammation in altering the microbiome, which subsequently leads to the induction of DNA damage in the colon. Mouse models of defective DNArepair and inflammatory control are extensively reviewed, including treatment of mouse models with pathogens, which leads to DNA damage. The roles of microRNAs in regulating inflammation and DNArepair are discussed. Importantly, DNArepair and inflammation are linked in many important ways, and in some cases balance each other to maintain homeostasis. The failure to repairDNA damage or to control inflammatory responses has the potential to lead to cancer. PMID:24410153

The survival of UV-irradiated DNA of plasmid NTP16 was monitored after its transformation into recipient cells containing an essentially homologous undamaged plasmid, pLV9. The presence of pLV9 resulted in a substantial increase in the fraction of damaged NTP16 molecules which survived in the recipient cells. This enhanced survival requires the host uvrA/sup +/ and uvrB/sup +/ gene products, but not the host recA/sup +/ gene product. The requirement for both homologous DNA and the uvrA/sup +/ gene products suggests that a novel repair process may act on plasmid DNA. Possible mechanisms for this process are considered.

The ability to repair X-irradiation induced single-strand DNA breaks was examined in mutagen-sensitive mutants of Drosophila melanogaster. This analysis demonstrated that examined stocks possess a normal capacity to repair X-ray induced single-strand breaks. One of the mutants in this study, mei-41, has been shown to be involved in a number of DNA metabolizing functions. A molecular characterization of this mutant is presented. A cDNA hybridizing to genomic DNA both proximal and distal to a P element inducing a mei-41 mutation was isolated from both embryonic and adult female recombinant lambda phage libraries. A 2.2 kilobase embryonic cDNA clone was sequenced; the sequence of an open reading frame was identified which would predict a protein of 384 amino acids with a molecular weight of 43,132 daltons. An examination of homologies to sequences in protein and nucleic acid data bases revealed no sequences with significant homology to mei-41, however, two potential Zinc-finger domains were identified. Analysis of RNA hybridizing to the embryonic cDNA demonstrated the existence of a major 2.2 kilobase transcript expressed primarily in embryos and adult flies. An examination of the transcription of this gene in mei-41 mutants revealed significant variation from wild-type, an indication that the embryonic cDNA does represent a mei-41 transcript. Expression in tissues from adult animals demonstrated that the 2.2 kilobase RNA is expressed primarily in reproductive tissues. A 3.8kb transcript is the major species of RNA in the adult head and thorax. Evidence is presented which implies that expression of the mei-41 gene is strongly induced by exposure of certain cells to mutagens.

DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) are potential lethal lesions but can also lead to chromosome rearrangements, a step promoting carcinogenesis. DNA non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major DSB rejoining process and occurs in all cell cycle stages. Homologous recombination (HR) can additionally function to repair irradiation-induced two-ended DSBs in G2 phase. In mammalian cells, HR predominantly uses a sister chromatid as a template for DSB repair; thus HR functions only in late S/G2 phase. Here, we review current insight into the interplay between HR and NHEJ in G2 phase. We argue that NHEJ represents the first choice pathway, repairing approximately 80% of X-ray-induced DSBs with rapid kinetics. However, a subset of DSBs undergoes end resection and repair by HR. 53BP1 restricts resection, thereby promoting NHEJ. During the switch from NHEJ to HR, 53BP1 is repositioned to the periphery of enlarged irradiation-induced foci (IRIF) via a BRCA1-dependent process. K63-linked ubiquitin chains, which also form at IRIF, are also repositioned as well as receptor-associated protein 80 (RAP80), a ubiquitin binding protein. RAP80 repositioning requires POH1, a proteasome component. Thus, the interfacing barriers to HR, 53BP1 and RAP80 are relieved by POH1 and BRCA1, respectively. Removal of RAP80 from the IRIF core is required for loss of the ubiquitin chains and 53BP1, and for efficient replication protein A foci formation. We propose that NHEJ is used preferentially to HR because it is a compact process that does not necessitate extensive chromatin changes in the DSB vicinity. PMID:24363387

The unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay measures the ability of a cell to perform global genomic nucleotide excision repair (NER). This chapter provides instructions for the application of this technique by creating 6-4 photoproducts and pyrimidine dimers using UV-C irradiation. This procedure is designed specifically for quantification of the 6-4 photoproducts. Repair is quantified by the amount of radioactive thymidine incorporated during repair synthesis after this insult, and radioactivity is evaluated by grain counting after autoradiography. The results are used to clinically diagnose human DNArepair deficiency disorders and provide a basis for investigation of repair deficiency in human tissues or tumors. No other functional assay is available that directly measures the capacity to perform NER on the entire genome without the use of specific antibodies. Since live cells are required for this assay, explant culture techniques must be previously established. Host cell reactivation (HCR), as discussed in Chapter 37, is not an equivalent technique, as it measures only transcription-coupled repair (TCR) at active genes, a small subset of total NER. PMID:24623250

We report that homology-directed repair of a DNA double-strand break within a single copy Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene in HeLa cells alters the methylation pattern at the site of recombination. DNA methyl transferase (DNMT)1, DNMT3a and two proteins that regulate methylation, Np95 and GADD45A, are recruited to the site of repair and are responsible for selective methylation of the promoter-distal segment of the repairedDNA. The initial methylation pattern of the locus is modified in a transcription-dependent fashion during the 15–20 days following repair, at which time no further changes in the methylation pattern occur. The variation in DNA modification generates stable clones with wide ranges of GFP expression. Collectively, our data indicate that somatic DNA methylation follows homologous repair and is subjected to remodeling by local transcription in a discrete time window during and after the damage. We propose that DNA methylation of repaired genes represents a DNA damage code and is source of variation of gene expression. PMID:24137009

Tuber wounding induces a cascade of biological responses involved in processes required to heal and protect surviving plant issues. Little is known about the coordination of these processes, including essential wound-induced DNA synthesis, yet they play critical roles in maintaining marketability o...

The detrimental effects of elevated intensities of mid-UV radiation (UVB), a result of stratospheric ozone depletion during the austral spring, on the primary producers of the Antarctic marine ecosystem have been well documented. Here we report that natural populations of Antarctic zooplankton also sustain significant DNA damage [measured as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs)] during periods of increased UVB flux. This is the first direct evidence that increased solar UVB may result in damage to marine organisms other than primary producers in Antarctica. The extent of DNA damage in pelagic icefish eggs correlated with daily incident UVB irradiance, reflecting the difference between acquisition and repair of CPDs. Patterns of DNA damage in fish larvae did not correlated with daily UVB flux, possibly due to different depth distributions and/or different capacities for DNArepair. Clearance of CPDs by Antarctic fish and krill was mediated primarily by the photoenzymatic repair system. Although repair rates were large for all species evaluated, they were apparently inadequate to prevent the transient accumulation of substantial CPD burdens. The capacity for DNArepair in Antarctic organisms was highest in those species whose early life history stages occupy the water column during periods of ozone depletion (austral spring) and lowest in fish species whose eggs and larvae are abundant during winter. Although the potential reduction in fitness of Antarctic zooplankton resulting from DNA damage is unknown, we suggest that increased solar UV may reduce recruitment and adversely affect trophic transfer of productivity by affecting heterotrophic species as well as primary producers. 54 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

The detrimental effects of elevated intensities of mid-UV radiation (UVB), a result of stratospheric ozone depletion during the austral spring, on the primary producers of the Antarctic marine ecosystem have been well documented. Here we report that natural populations of Antarctic zooplankton also sustain significant DNA damage [measured as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs)] during periods of increased UVB flux. This is the first direct evidence that increased solar UVB may result in damage to marine organisms other than primary producers in Antarctica. The extent of DNA damage in pelagic icefish eggs correlated with daily incident UVB irradiance, reflecting the difference between acquisition and repair of CPDs. Patterns of DNA damage in fish larvae did not correlate with daily UVB flux, possibly due to different depth distributions and/or different capacities for DNArepair. Clearance of CPDs by Antarctic fish and krill was mediated primarily by the photoenzymatic repair system. Although repair rates were large for all species evaluated, they were apparently inadequate to prevent the transient accumulation of substantial CPD burdens. The capacity for DNArepair in Antarctic organisms was highest in those species whose early life history stages occupy the water column during periods of ozone depletion (austral spring) and lowest in fish species whose eggs and larvae are abundant during winter. Although the potential reduction in fitness of Antarctic zooplankton resulting from DNA damage is unknown, we suggest that increased solar UV may reduce recruitment and adversely affect trophic transfer of productivity by affecting heterotrophic species as well as primary producers. PMID:9037040

Cutaneous melanoma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Nicotinamide is a safe, widely available vitamin that reduces the immune suppressive effects of UV, enhances DNArepair in keratinocytes and has shown promise in the chemoprevention of non-melanoma skin cancer. Here, we report the effect of nicotinamide on DNA damage and repair in primary human melanocytes. Nicotinamide significantly enhanced the repair of oxidative DNA damage (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine) and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers induced by UV exposure. It also enhanced the repair of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine induced by the culture conditions in unirradiated melanocytes. A significant increase in the percentage of melanocytes undergoing unscheduled but not scheduled DNA synthesis was observed, confirming that nicotinamide enhances DNArepair in human melanocytes. In summary, nicotinamide, by enhancing DNArepair in melanocytes, is a potential agent for the chemoprevention of cutaneous melanoma. PMID:24798949

Human ABH2 repairsDNA lesions by using an Fe(II)- and αKG-dependent oxidative demethylation mechanism. The structure of the active site features the facial triad of protein ligands consisting of the side chains of two histidine and one aspartate residues that is common to many nonheme Fe(II) oxygenases. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of metallated (Fe and Ni) samples of ABH2 were used to investigate the mechanism of ABH2 and its inhibition by Ni(II) ions. The data are consistent with a sequential mechanism that features a five coordinate metal center in both the presence and absence of the α-ketoglutarate cofactor. This aspect is not altered in the Ni(II)-substituted enzyme, and both metals are shown to bind the cofactor. When substrate is bound to the native Fe(II) complex with α-ketoglutarate bound, a five-coordinate Fe(II) center is retained that features an open coordination position for O2 binding. However, in the case of the Ni(II)-substituted enzyme, the complex that forms in the presence of cofactor and substrate is six-coordinate, and therefore features no open coordination site for oxygen activation at the metal. PMID:21510633

Defects in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) result in elevated mutagenesis and in cancer predisposition. This disease burden arises because MMR is required to correct errors made in the copying of DNA. MMR is bidirectional at the level of DNA strand polarity as it operates equally well in the 5′ to 3′ and the 3′ to 5′ directions. However, the directionality of MMR with respect to the chromosome, which comprises parental DNA strands of opposite polarity, has been unknown. Here, we show that MMR in Escherichia coli is unidirectional with respect to the chromosome. Our data demonstrate that, following the recognition of a 3-bp insertion-deletion loop mismatch, the MMR machinery searches for the first hemimethylated GATC site located on its origin-distal side, toward the replication fork, and that resection then proceeds back toward the mismatch and away from the replication fork. This study provides support for a tight coupling between MMR and DNA replication. PMID:26170312

A common feature of DNArepair enzymes is their ability to recognize the damage independently of sequence in which they are found. The presence of a flipped out base inserted into the protein in several DNA-enzyme complexes suggests a contribution to enzyme specificity. Molecular simulations of damaged DNA indicate that the damage produces changes in DNA structure and changes the dynamics of DNA bending. The reduced bending force constant can be used by the enzyme to induce DNA bending and facilitate base flipping. We show that a thymine dimer (TD) containing DNA requires less energy to bend, lowering the barrier for base flipping. On the other hand, bending in DNA with U-G mismatch is affected only by a small amount and flipping is not enhanced significantly. T4 endonuclease V (endoV), which recognizes TD, utilizes the reduced barrier for flipping as a specific recognition element. In uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG), which recognizes U-G mismatches, base flipping is not enhanced and recognition is encoded in a highly specific binding pocket for the flipped base. Simulations of UDG and endoV in complex with damaged DNA provide insight into the essential elements of the catalytic mechanism. Calculations of pKas of active site residues in endoV and endoV-DNA complex show that the pKa, of the N-terminus is reduced from 8.01 to 6.52 while that of Glu-23 increases from 1.52 to 7.82. Thus, the key catalytic residues are in their neutral form. The simulations also show that Glu-23 is also H-bonded to O4' of the 5'-TD enhancing the nucleophilic attack on Cl and that Arg-26 enhances the hydrolysis by electrostatic stabilization but does not participate in proton transfer. In the enzyme-substrate complex of UDG, the role of electrostatic stabilization is played by His-268, whose pKa increases to 7.1 from 4.9 in the free enzyme. The pKa of Asp-145, the other important catalytic residue, remains around 4.2 in the free enzyme and in the complex. Thus, it can not act as a proton

Eukaryotic DNA polymerase δ (Pol δ) activity is crucial for chromosome replication and DNArepair and thus, plays an essential role in genome stability. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pol δ is a heterotrimeric complex composed of the catalytic subunit Pol3, the structural B subunit Pol31, and Pol32, an additional auxiliary subunit. Pol3 interacts with Pol31 thanks to its C-terminal domain (CTD) and this interaction is of functional importance both in DNA replication and DNArepair. Interestingly, deletion of the last four C-terminal Pol3 residues, LSKW, in the pol3-ct mutant does not affect DNA replication but leads to defects in homologous recombination and in break-induced replication (BIR) repair pathways. The defect associated with pol3-ct could result from a defective interaction between Pol δ and a protein involved in recombination. However, we show that the LSKW motif is required for the interaction between Pol3 C-terminal end and Pol31. This loss of interaction is relevant in vivo since we found that pol3-ct confers HU sensitivity on its own and synthetic lethality with a POL32 deletion. Moreover, pol3-ct shows genetic interactions, both suppression and synthetic lethality, with POL31 mutant alleles. Structural analyses indicate that the B subunit of Pol δ displays a major conserved region at its surface and that pol31 alleles interacting with pol3-ct, correspond to substitutions of Pol31 amino acids that are situated in this particular region. Superimposition of our Pol31 model on the 3D architecture of the phylogenetically related DNA polymerase α (Pol α) suggests that Pol3 CTD interacts with the conserved region of Pol31, thus providing a molecular basis to understand the defects associated with pol3-ct. Taken together, our data highlight a stringent dependence on Pol δ complex stability in DNArepair. PMID:20813592

ells that suffer substantial inhibition of DNA replication halt their cell cycle via a checkpoint response mediated by the PI3 kinases ATM and ATR. It is unclear how cells cope with milder replication insults, which are under the threshold for ATM and ATR activation. A third PI3 kinase, DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), is also activated following replication inhibition, but the role DNA-PK might play in response to perturbed replication is unclear, since this kinase does not activate the signaling cascades involved in the S-phase checkpoint. Here we report that mild, transient drug-induced perturbation of DNA replication rapidly induced DNA breaks that promptly disappeared in cells that contained a functional DNA-PK whereas such breaks persisted in cells that were deficient in DNA-PK activity. After the initial transient burst of DNA breaks, cells with a functional DNA-PK did not halt replication and continued to synthesize DNA at a slow pace in the presence of replication inhibitors. In contrast, DNA-PK deficient cells subject to low levels of replication inhibition halted cell cycle progression via an ATR-mediated S-phase checkpoint. The ATM kinase was dispensable for the induction of the initial DNA breaks. These observations suggest that DNA-PK is involved in setting a high threshold for the ATR-Chkl-mediated S-phase checkpoint by promptly repairingDNA breaks that appear immediately following inhibition of DNA replication.

Bacillus subtilis LrpC is a sequence-independent DNA-binding and DNA-bending protein, which binds both single-stranded (ss) and double-stranded (ds) DNA and facilitates the formation of higher order protein–DNA complexes in vitro. LrpC binds at different sites within the same DNA molecule promoting intramolecular ligation. When bound to separate molecules, it promotes intermolecular ligation, and joint molecule formation between a circular ssDNA and a homologous ssDNA-tailed linear dsDNA. LrpC binding showed a higher affinity for 4-way (Holliday) junctions in their open conformation, when compared with curved dsDNA. Consistent with these biochemical activities, an lrpC null mutant strain rendered cells sensitive to DNA damaging agents such as methyl methanesulfonate and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, and showed a segregation defect. These findings collectively suggest that LrpC may be involved in DNA transactions during DNArepair and recombination. PMID:16407330

Most chemotherapy regimens contain at least one DNA-damaging agent that preferentially affects the growth of cancer cells. This strategy takes advantage of the differences in cell proliferation between normal and cancer cells. Chemotherapeutic drugs are usually designed to target rapid-dividing cells because sustained proliferation is a common feature of cancer [1,2]. Rapid DNA replication is essential for highly proliferative cells, thus blocking of DNA replication will create numerous mutations and/or chromosome rearrangements—ultimately triggering cell death [3]. Along these lines, DNA topoisomerase inhibitors are of great interest because they help to maintain strand breaks generated by topoisomerases during replication. In this article, we discuss the characteristics of topoisomerase (DNA) I (TOP1) and its inhibitors, as well as the underlying DNArepair pathways and the use of TOP1 inhibitors in cancer therapy. PMID:26287259

Inherited mutations of the DNA Mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 can result in two hereditary tumor syndromes: the adult-onset autosomal dominant Lynch syndrome, previously referred to as Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) and the childhood-onset autosomal recessive Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency syndrome. Both conditions are important to recognize clinically as their identification has direct consequences for clinical management and allows targeted preventive actions in mutation carriers. Lynch syndrome is one of the more common adult-onset hereditary tumor syndromes, with thousands of patients reported to date. Its tumor spectrum is well established and includes colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer and a range of other cancer types. However, surveillance for cancers other than colorectal cancer is still of uncertain value. Prophylactic surgery, especially for the uterus and its adnexa is an option in female mutation carriers. Chemoprevention of colorectal cancer with aspirin is actively being investigated in this syndrome and shows promising results. In contrast, the Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency syndrome is rare, features a wide spectrum of childhood onset cancers, many of which are brain tumors with high mortality rates. Future studies are very much needed to improve the care for patients with this severe disorder. PMID:26746812

The expansion of repeated sequences is the cause of over 30 inherited genetic diseases, including Huntington disease, myotonic dystrophy (types 1 and 2), fragile X syndrome, many spinocerebellar ataxias, and some cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat expansions are dynamic, and disease inheritance and progression are influenced by the size and the rate of expansion. Thus, an understanding of the various cellular mechanisms that cooperate to control or promote repeat expansions is of interest to human health. In addition, the study of repeat expansion and contraction mechanisms has provided insight into how repair pathways operate in the context of structure-forming DNA, as well as insights into non-canonical roles for repair proteins. Here we review the mechanisms of repeat instability, with a special emphasis on the knowledge gained from the various model systems that have been developed to study this topic. We cover the repair pathways and proteins that operate to maintain genome stability, or in some cases cause instability, and the cross-talk and interactions between them. PMID:25608779

Abstract Significance: An emerging concept in DNArepair mechanisms is the evidence that some key enzymes, besides their role in the maintenance of genome stability, display also unexpected noncanonical functions associated with RNA metabolism in specific subcellular districts (e.g., nucleoli). During the evolution of these key enzymes, the acquisition of unfolded domains significantly amplified the possibility to interact with different partners and substrates, possibly explaining their phylogenetic gain of functions. Recent Advances: After nucleolar stress or DNA damage, many DNArepair proteins can freely relocalize from nucleoli to the nucleoplasm. This process may represent a surveillance mechanism to monitor the synthesis and correct assembly of ribosomal units affecting cell cycle progression or inducing p53-mediated apoptosis or senescence. Critical Issues: A paradigm for this kind of regulation is represented by some enzymes of the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway, such as apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1). In this review, the role of the nucleolus and the noncanonical functions of the APE1 protein are discussed in light of their possible implications in human pathologies. Future Directions: A productive cross-talk between DNArepair enzymes and proteins involved in RNA metabolism seems reasonable as the nucleolus is emerging as a dynamic functional hub that coordinates cell growth arrest and DNArepair mechanisms. These findings will drive further analyses on other BER proteins and might imply that nucleic acid processing enzymes are more versatile than originally thought having evolved DNA-targeted functions after a previous life in the early RNA world. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 20, 621–639. PMID:23879289

We perform single-molecule spatial tracking measurements of a DNArepair protein, the C-terminal domain of Ada (C-Ada) from Escherichia coli, moving on DNA extended by flow. The trajectories of single proteins labeled with a fluorophore are constructed. We analyze single-protein dwell times on DNA for different flow rates and conclude that sliding (with essentially no hopping) is the mechanism of C-Ada motion along stretched DNA. We also analyze the trajectory results with a drift-diffusion Langevin equation approach to elucidate the influence of flow on the protein motion; systematic variation of the flow enables one to estimate the microscopic friction. We integrate the step-size probability distribution to obtain a version of the fluctuation theorem that articulates the relation between the entropy production and consumption under the adjustable drag (i.e., bias) from the flow. This expression allows validation of the Langevin equation description of the motion. Comparison of the rate of sliding with recent computer simulations of DNArepair suggests that C-Ada could conduct its repair function while moving at near the one-dimensional diffusion limit. PMID:19254550

The repair outcomes at site-specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated by the RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 determine how gene function is altered. Despite the widespread adoption of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to induce DSBs for genome engineering, the resulting repair products have not been examined in depth. Here, the DNArepair profiles of 223 sites in the human genome demonstrate that the pattern of DNArepair following Cas9 cutting at each site is nonrandom and consistent across experimental replicates, cell lines, and reagent delivery methods. Furthermore, the repair outcomes are determined by the protospacer sequence rather than genomic context, indicating that DNArepair profiling in cell lines can be used to anticipate repair outcomes in primary cells. Chemical inhibition of DNA-PK enabled dissection of the DNArepair profiles into contributions from c-NHEJ and MMEJ. Finally, this work elucidates a strategy for using "error-prone" DNA-repair machinery to generate precise edits. PMID:27499295

DNArepair systems protect cells from genomic instability and carcinogenesis. Therefore, assays for measuring DNArepair activity are valuable, not only for clinical diagnoses of DNArepair deficiency disorders but also for basic research and anticancer drug development. Two commonly used assays are UDS (unscheduled DNA synthesis, requiring a precise measurement of an extremely small amount of repairDNA synthesis) and RRS (recovery of RNA synthesis after DNA damage). Both UDS and RRS are major endpoints for assessing the activity of nucleotide excision repair (NER), the most versatile DNArepair process. Conventional UDS and RRS assays are laborious and time-consuming, as they measure the incorporation of radiolabeled nucleosides associated with NER. Here we describe a comprehensive protocol for monitoring nonradioactive UDS and RRS by studying the incorporation of alkyne-conjugated nucleoside analogs followed by a fluorescent azide-coupling click-chemistry reaction. The system is also suitable for quick measurement of cell sensitivity to DNA-damaging reagents and for lentivirus-based complementation assays, which can be used to systematically determine the pathogenic genes associated with DNArepair deficiency disorders. A typical UDS or RRS assay using primary fibroblasts, including a virus complementation test, takes 1 week to complete. PMID:25474029

Caloric restrictive feeding prolongs the lifespan of a variety of model organisms like rodents and invertebrates. It has been shown that caloric restriction reduces age-related as well as overall-mortality, reduces oxidative stress and influences DNArepair ability positively. There are numerous studies underlining this, but fewer studies involving humans exist. To contribute to a better understanding of the correlation of calorie reduction and DNArepair in humans, we adapted the host cell reactivation assay to an application with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, we used this reliable and reproducible assay to research the influence of a special kind of calorie reduction, namely F. X. Mayr therapy, on DNArepair capacity. We found a positive effect in all persons with low pre-existing DNArepair capacity. In individuals with normal pre-existing DNArepair capacity, no effect on DNArepair capacity was detectable. Decline of DNArepair, accumulation of oxidative DNA damages, mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere shortening as well as caloric intake are widely thought to contribute to aging. With regard to that, our results can be considered as a strong indication that calorie reduction may support DNArepair processes and thus contribute to a healthier aging. PMID:26879629

Ultraviolet light damages DNA by converting two adjacent thymines into a thymine dimer which is potentially mutagenic, carcinogenic, or lethal to the organism. This damage is repaired by photolyase and the nucleotide excision repair system in E. coli by nucleotide excision repair in humans. The work leading to these results is presented by Aziz Sancar in his Nobel Lecture. PMID:27337655

Our objectives are to determine the molecular mechanism of the incision step of excision repair of ultraviolet (UV) light damaged DNA in eukaryotic organisms, using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system, and to study the human homologs of yeast excision repair and postreplication repair proteins progress is described.

Defined cellular mechanisms have evolved that recognize and repairDNA to protect the integrity of its structure and sequence when encountering assaults from endogenous and exogenous sources. There are five major DNArepair pathways: mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, direct repair, base excision repair and DNA double strand break repair (including non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair). Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is a feature of many cancer types. The Hh pathway has been documented to be indispensable for epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance. The functional transcription activators of the Hh pathway include the GLI proteins. Inhibition of the activity of GLI can interfere with almost all DNArepair types in human cancer, indicating that Hh/GLI functions may play an important role in enabling tumor cells to survive lethal types of DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, Hh signaling presents an important therapeutic target to overcome DNArepair-enabled multi-drug resistance and consequently increase chemotherapeutic response in the treatment of cancer. PMID:26197339

Transcription-coupled DNArepair (TCR) is a subpathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER) dedicated to rapid removal of DNA lesions in the transcribed strand of actively transcribed genes. The precise nature of the TCR signal and how the repair machinery gains access to lesions imbedded in stalled RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) complexes in eukaryotic cells are still enigmatic. RNAP II has an intrinsic capacity for transcription bypass of DNA lesions by incorporation or misincorporation of nucleotides across the lesions. It has been suggested that transcription bypass of lesions, which exposes the lesions, may be required for TCR. Here, we show that E1103G mutation of Rpb1, the largest subunit of RNAP II, which promotes transcription bypass of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), increases survival of UV irradiated yeast cells but attenuates TCR. The increased cell survival is independent of any NER subpathways. In contrast, G730D mutation of Rpb1, which impairs transcription bypass of CPDs, enhances TCR. Our results suggest that transcription bypass of lesions attenuates TCR but enhances cell tolerance to DNA lesions. Efficient stalling of RNAP II is essential for efficient TCR. PMID:25389266

Whole cell extracts from human lymphoid cell lines can perform in vitro DNArepair synthesis in plasmids damaged by agents including UV or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP). Extracts from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) cells are defective in repair synthesis. We have now studied in vitro DNArepair synthesis using extracts from lymphoblastoid cell lines representing four human hereditary syndromes with increased sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. Extracts of cell lines from individuals with the sunlight-sensitive disorders dysplastic nevus syndrome or Cockayne's syndrome (complementation groups A and B) showed normal DNArepair synthesis in plasmids with UV photoproducts. This is consistent with in vivo measurements of the overall DNArepair capacity in such cell lines. A number of extracts were prepared from two cell lines representing the variant form of XP (XP-V). Half of the extracts prepared showed normal levels of in vitro DNArepair synthesis in plasmids containing UV lesions, but the remainder of the extracts from the same cell lines showed deficient repair synthesis, suggesting the possibility of an unusually labile excision repair protein in XP-V. Fanconi's anemia (FA) cells show cellular hypersensitivity to cross-linking agents including cis-DDP. Extracts from cell lines belonging to two different complementation groups of FA showed normal DNArepair synthesis in plasmids containing cis-DDP or UV adducts. Thus, there does not appear to be an overall excision repair defect in FA, but the data do not exclude a defect in the repair of interstrand DNA cross-links.

Oxidative DNA damage incidental to normal respiratory metabolism poses a particular threat to genomes of highly metabolic-long lived cells. We show that post-mitotic brain has capacity to repair oxidatively damaged DNA ends, which are targets of the long patch (LP) base excision repair (BER) subpathway. LP-BER relies, in part, on proteins associated with DNA replication, including proliferating cell nuclear antigen and is inherent to proliferating cells. Nonetheless, repair products are generated with brain extracts, albeit at slow rates, in the case of 5'-DNA ends modeled with tetrahydrofuran (THF). THF at this position is refractory to DNA polymerase beta 5'-deoxyribose 5-phosphate lyase activity and drives repair into the LP-BER subpathway. Comparison of repair of 5'-THF-blocked termini in the post-mitotic rat brain and proliferative intestinal mucosa, revealed that in mucosa, resolution of damaged 5'-termini is accompanied by formation of larger repair products. In contrast, adducts targeted by the single nucleotide BER are proficiently repaired with both extracts. Our findings reveal mechanistic differences in BER processes selective for the brain versus proliferative tissues. The differences highlight the physiological relevance of the recently proposed 'Hit and Run' mechanism of alternating cleavage/synthesis steps, in the proliferating cell nuclear antigen-independent LP-BER process. PMID:18752643

Eukaryotic DNArepair enzymes must interact with the architectural hierarchy of chromatin. The challenge of finding damaged DNA complexed with histone proteins in nucleosomes is complicated by the need to maintain local chromatin structures involved in regulating other DNA processing events. The heterogeneity of lesions induced by DNA-damaging agents has led us to design homogeneously damaged substrates to directly compare repair of naked DNA with that of nucleosomes. Here we report that nucleotide excision repair in Xenopus nuclear extracts can effectively repair a single UV radiation photoproduct located 5 bases from the dyad center of a positioned nucleosome, although the nucleosome is repaired at about half the rate at which the naked DNA fragment is. Extract repair within the nucleosome is > 50-fold more rapid than either enzymatic photoreversal or endonuclease cleavage of the lesion in vitro. Furthermore, nucleosome formation occurs (after repair) only on damaged naked DNA ( 165-bp fragments) during a 1-h incubation in these extracts, even in the presence of a large excess of undamaged DNA. This is an example of selective nucleosome assembly by Xenopus nuclear extracts on a short linear DNA fragment containing a DNA lesion.

Uranium has radiological and non-radiological effects within biological systems and there is increasing evidence for genotoxic and carcinogenic properties attributable to uranium through its heavy metal properties. In this study, we report that low concentrations of uranium (as uranyl acetate; <10 μM) is not cytotoxic to human embryonic kidney cells or normal human keratinocytes; however, uranium exacerbates DNA damage and cytotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that uranium may inhibit DNArepair processes. Concentrations of uranyl acetate in the low micromolar range inhibited the zinc finger DNArepair protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 and caused zinc loss from PARP-1 protein. Uranyl acetate exposure also led to zinc loss from the zinc finger DNArepair proteins Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Complementation Group A (XPA) and aprataxin (APTX). In keeping with the observed inhibition of zinc finger function of DNArepair proteins, exposure to uranyl acetate enhanced retention of induced DNA damage. Co-incubation of uranyl acetate with zinc largely overcame the impact of uranium on PARP-1 activity and DNA damage. These findings present evidence that low concentrations of uranium can inhibit DNArepair through disruption of zinc finger domains of specific target DNArepair proteins. This may provide a mechanistic basis to account for the published observations that uranium exposure is associated with DNArepair deficiency in exposed human populations. PMID:26627003

DNArepair declines with age and correlates with longevity in many animal species. In this study, we investigated the effects of GAL4-induced overexpression of genes implicated in DNArepair on lifespan and resistance to stress factors in Drosophila melanogaster. Stress factors included hyperthermia, oxidative stress, and starvation. Overexpression was either constitutive or conditional and either ubiquitous or tissue-specific (nervous system). Overexpressed genes included those involved in recognition of DNA damage (homologs of HUS1, CHK2), nucleotide and base excision repair (homologs of XPF, XPC and AP-endonuclease-1), and repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (homologs of BRCA2, XRCC3, KU80 and WRNexo). The overexpression of different DNArepair genes led to both positive and negative effects on lifespan and stress resistance. Effects were dependent on GAL4 driver, stage of induction, sex, and role of the gene in the DNArepair process. While the constitutive/neuron-specific and conditional/ubiquitous overexpression of DNArepair genes negatively impacted lifespan and stress resistance, the constitutive/ubiquitous and conditional/neuron-specific overexpression of Hus1, mnk, mei-9, mus210, and WRNexo had beneficial effects. This study demonstrates for the first time the effects of overexpression of these DNArepair genes on both lifespan and stress resistance in D. melanogaster. PMID:26477511

DNArepair declines with age and correlates with longevity in many animal species. In this study, we investigated the effects of GAL4-induced overexpression of genes implicated in DNArepair on lifespan and resistance to stress factors in Drosophila melanogaster. Stress factors included hyperthermia, oxidative stress, and starvation. Overexpression was either constitutive or conditional and either ubiquitous or tissue-specific (nervous system). Overexpressed genes included those involved in recognition of DNA damage (homologs of HUS1, CHK2), nucleotide and base excision repair (homologs of XPF, XPC and AP-endonuclease-1), and repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (homologs of BRCA2, XRCC3, KU80 and WRNexo). The overexpression of different DNArepair genes led to both positive and negative effects on lifespan and stress resistance. Effects were dependent on GAL4 driver, stage of induction, sex, and role of the gene in the DNArepair process. While the constitutive/neuron-specific and conditional/ubiquitous overexpression of DNArepair genes negatively impacted lifespan and stress resistance, the constitutive/ubiquitous and conditional/neuron-specific overexpression of Hus1, mnk, mei-9, mus210, and WRNexo had beneficial effects. This study demonstrates for the first time the effects of overexpression of these DNArepair genes on both lifespan and stress resistance in D. melanogaster. PMID:26477511

Known genetic causes of pediatric interstitial lung disease include disorders of surfactant metabolism, telomerase, and DNArepair. We report 4 children from 2 families with rapidly progressive and fatal pulmonary fibrosis. A novel DNArepair defect unrelated to the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene was found in 1 child from each family. PMID:22240110

Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a tumor of the bone and soft tissue that primarily affects adolescents and young adults. With current therapies, 70% of patients with localized disease survive, but patients with metastatic or recurrent disease have a poor outcome. We found that EWS cell lines are defective in DNA break repair and are sensitive to PARP inhibitors (PARPis). PARPi-induced cytotoxicity in EWS cells was 10- to 1,000-fold higher after administration of the DNA-damaging agents irinotecan or temozolomide. We developed an orthotopic EWS mouse model and performed pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies using three different PARPis that are in clinical development for pediatric cancer. Irinotecan administered on a low-dose, protracted schedule previously optimized for pediatric patients was an effective DNA-damaging agent when combined with PARPis; it was also better tolerated than combinations with temozolomide. Combining PARPis with irinotecan and temozolomide gave complete and durable responses in more than 80% of the mice. PMID:25437539

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is an evolutionarily conserved process that corrects DNA polymerase errors during replication to maintain genomic integrity. In E. coli, the DNA helicase UvrD is implicated in MMR, yet an analogous helicase activity has not been identified in eukaryotes. Here, we show that mammalian MCM9, a protein involved in replication and homologous recombination, forms a complex with MMR initiation proteins (MSH2, MSH3, MLH1, PMS1, and the clamp loader RFC) and is essential for MMR. Mcm9-/- cells display microsatellite instability and MMR deficiency. The MCM9 complex has a helicase activity that is required for efficient MMR since wild-type but not helicase-dead MCM9 restores MMR activity in Mcm9-/- cells. Moreover, MCM9 loading onto chromatin is MSH2-dependent, and in turn MCM9 stimulates the recruitment of MLH1 to chromatin. Our results reveal a role for MCM9 and its helicase activity in mammalian MMR. PMID:26300262

Alternative end joining (Alt-EJ) chromosomal break repair involves bypassing classical non-homologous end joining (c-NHEJ), and such repair causes mutations often with microhomology at the repair junction. Since the mediators of Alt-EJ are not well understood, we have sought to identify DNA damage response (DDR) factors important for this repair event. Using chromosomal break reporter assays, we surveyed an RNAi library targeting known DDR factors for siRNAs that cause a specific decrease in Alt-EJ, relative to an EJ event that is a composite of Alt-EJ and c-NHEJ (Distal-EJ between two tandem breaks). From this analysis, we identified several DDR factors that are specifically important for Alt-EJ relative to Distal-EJ. While these factors are from diverse pathways, we also found that most of them also promote homologous recombination (HR), including factors important for DNA crosslink repair, such as the Fanconi Anemia factor, FANCA. Since bypass of c-NHEJ is likely important for both Alt-EJ and HR, we disrupted the c-NHEJ factor Ku70 in Fanca-deficient mouse cells and found that Ku70 loss significantly diminishes the influence of Fanca on Alt-EJ. In contrast, an inhibitor of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) causes a decrease in Alt-EJ that is enhanced by Ku70 loss. Additionally, the helicase/nuclease DNA2 appears to have distinct effects from FANCA and PARP on both Alt-EJ, as well as end resection. Finally, we found that the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib, a cancer therapeutic that has been shown to disrupt FANC signaling, causes a significant reduction in both Alt-EJ and HR, relative to Distal-EJ, as well as a substantial loss of end resection. We suggest that several distinct DDR functions are important for Alt-EJ, which include promoting bypass of c-NHEJ and end resection. PMID:25629353

Purpose In children diagnosed with cancer, we evaluated the DNA damage foci approach to identify patients with double-strand break (DSB) repair deficiencies, who may overreact to DNA-damaging radio- and chemotherapy. In one patient with Fanconi anemia (FA) suffering relapsing squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity we also characterized the repair defect in biopsies of skin, mucosa and tumor. Methods and Materials In children with histologically confirmed tumors or leukemias and healthy control-children DSB repair was investigated by counting γH2AX-, 53BP1- and pATM-foci in blood lymphocytes at defined time points after ex-vivo irradiation. This DSB repair capacity was correlated with treatment-related normal-tissue responses. For the FA patient the defective repair was also characterized in tissue biopsies by analyzing DNA damage response proteins by light and electron microscopy. Results Between tumor-children and healthy control-children we observed significant differences in mean DSB repair capacity, suggesting that childhood cancer is based on genetic alterations affecting DNArepair. Only 1 out of 4 patients with grade-4 normal-tissue toxicities revealed an impaired DSB repair capacity. The defective DNArepair in FA patient was verified in irradiated blood lymphocytes as well as in non-irradiated mucosa and skin biopsies leading to an excessive accumulation of heterochromatin-associated DSBs in rapidly cycling cells. Conclusions Analyzing human tissues we show that DSB repair alterations predispose to cancer formation at younger ages and affect the susceptibility to normal-tissue toxicities. DNA damage foci analysis of blood and tissue samples allows one to detect and characterize DSB repair deficiencies and enables identification of patients at risk for high-grade toxicities. However, not all treatment-associated normal-tissue toxicities can be explained by DSB repair deficiencies. PMID:24637877

Complementation group A of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) represents one of the most prevalent and serious forms of this cancer-prone disorder. Because of a marked defect in DNA excision repair, cells from individuals with XP-A are hypersensitive to the toxic and mutagenic effects of ultraviolet light and many chemical agents. We report here the isolation of the XP-A DNArepair protein by complementation of cell extracts from a repair-defective human XP-A cell line. XP-A protein purified from calf thymus migrates on denaturing gel electrophoresis as a doublet of 40 and 42 kilodaltons. The XP-A protein binds preferentially to ultraviolet light-irradiated DNA, with a preference for damaged over nondamaged nucleotides of approximately 10(3). This strongly suggests that the XP-A protein plays a direct role in the recognition of and incision at lesions in DNA. We further show that this protein corresponds to the product encoded by a recently isolated gene that can restore excision repair to XP-A cells. Thus, excision repair of plasmid DNA by cell extracts sufficiently resembles genomic repair in cells to reveal accurately the repair defect in an inherited disease. The general approach described here can be extended to the identification and isolation of other human DNArepair proteins. PMID:1935910

Complementation group A of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) represents one of the most prevalent and serious forms of this cancer-prone disorder. Because of a marked defect in DNA excision repair, cells from individuals with XP-A are hypersensitive to the toxic and mutagenic effects of ultraviolet light and many chemical agents. We report here the isolation of the XP-A DNArepair protein by complementation of cell extracts from a repair-defective human XP-A cell line. XP-A protein purified from calf thymus migrates on denaturing gel electrophoresis as a doublet of 40 and 42 kilodaltons. The XP-A protein binds preferentially to ultraviolet light-irradiated DNA, with a preference for damaged over nondamaged nucleotides of approximately 10(3). This strongly suggests that the XP-A protein plays a direct role in the recognition of and incision at lesions in DNA. We further show that this protein corresponds to the product encoded by a recently isolated gene that can restore excision repair to XP-A cells. Thus, excision repair of plasmid DNA by cell extracts sufficiently resembles genomic repair in cells to reveal accurately the repair defect in an inherited disease. The general approach described here can be extended to the identification and isolation of other human DNArepair proteins. Images PMID:1935910

Ku protein binds broken DNA ends, triggering a double-strand DNA break repair pathway. The spatial arrangement of the two Ku subunits in the initial Ku-DNA complex, when the Ku protein first approaches the broken DNA end, is not well defined. We have investigated the geometry of the complex using a novel set of photocross-linking probes that force Ku protein to be constrained in position and orientation, relative to a single free DNA end. Results suggest that this complex is roughly symmetric and that both Ku subunits make contact with an approximately equal area of the DNA. The complex has a strongly preferred orientation, with Ku70-DNA backbone contacts located proximal and Ku80-DNA backbone contacts located distal to the free end. Ku70 also contacts functional groups in the major groove proximal to the free end. Ku80 apparently does not make major groove contacts. Results are consistent with a model where the Ku70 and Ku80 subunits contact the major and minor grooves of DNA, respectively. PMID:10391954

Histone methylation regulates DNArepair. However, the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of histone methylation during this repair remain to be further defined. Here, we show that ionizing radiation (IR) induces DNA-PK-dependent phosphorylation of nuclear fumarase at T236, which leads to an interaction between fumarase and the histone variant H2A.Z at DNA double-strand break (DSB) regions. Locally generated fumarate inhibits KDM2B histone demethylase activity, resulting in enhanced dimethylation of histone H3 K36; in turn, this increases the accumulation of the Ku70-containing DNA-PK at DSB regions for non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DNArepair and cell survival. These findings reveal a feedback mechanism that underlies DNA-PK regulation by chromatin-associated fumarase and an instrumental function of fumarase in regulating histone H3 methylation and DNArepair. PMID:26237645

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in mammals is coordinated by the ubiquitin-dependent accumulation of 53BP1 at DSB-flanking chromatin. Owing to its ability to limit DNA-end processing, 53BP1 is thought to promote nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) and to suppress homology-directed repair (HDR). Here, we show that silencing 53BP1 or exhausting its capacity to bind damaged chromatin changes limited DSB resection to hyper-resection and results in a switch from error-free gene conversion by RAD51 to mutagenic single-strand annealing by RAD52. Thus, rather than suppressing HDR, 53BP1 fosters its fidelity. These findings illuminate causes and consequences of synthetic viability acquired through 53BP1 silencing in cells lacking the BRCA1 tumor suppressor. We show that such cells survive DSB assaults at the cost of increasing reliance on RAD52-mediated HDR, which may fuel genome instability. However, our findings suggest that when challenged by DSBs, BRCA1- and 53BP1-deficient cells may become hypersensitive to, and be eliminated by, RAD52 inhibition. PMID:27348077

Absorption of UV-radiation in nucleotides initiates a number of photophysical and photochemical processes, which may finally cause DNA damage. One major decay channel of photoexcited DNA leads to reactive charge transfer states. This study shows that these states trigger self-repair of DNA photolesions. The experiments were performed by UV spectroscopy and HPLC on different single and double stranded oligonucleotides containing a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) lesion. In a first experiment we show that photoexcitation of adenine adjacent to a CPD has no influence on this lesion. However, excitation of a guanine (G) adenine (A) sequence leads to reformation of the intact thymine (T) bases. The involvement of two bases for the repair points to a long-living charge transfer state between G and A to be responsible for the repair. The negatively charged A radical anion donates an electron to the CPD, inducing ring splitting and repair. In contrast, a TA sequence, having an inverted charge distribution (T radical anion, A radical cation), is not able to repair the CPD lesion. The investigations show that the presence of an adjacent radical ion is not sufficient for repair. More likely it is the driving power represented by the oxidation potential of the radical ion, which controls the repair. Thus, repair capacities are strongly sequence-dependent, creating DNA regions with different tendencies of self-repair. This self-healing activity represents the simplest sequence-dependent DNArepair system. PMID:26651219

Kinetic studies on double strand DNA damages induced by a laser microbeam have allowed a precise definition of the temporal order of recruitment of repair molecules. The order is KU70 / KU80 - XRCC4 --NBS1 -- RAD51. These kinetic studies are now complemented by studies on molecular structures of the repair proteins, using the program YASARA which does not only give molecular structures but also physicochemical details on forces involved in binding processes. It turns out that the earliest of these repair proteins, the KU70 / KU80 heterodimer, has a hole with high DNA affinity. The next molecule, XRCC4, has a body with two arms, the latter with extremely high DNA affinity at their ends and a binding site for Ligase 4. Together with the laser microbeam results this provides a detailed view on the early steps of DNA double strand break repair. The sequence of DNArepair events is presented as a movie.

DNA double-strand breaks are highly detrimental to all organisms and need to be quickly and accurately repaired. Although several proteins are known to maintain plastid and mitochondrial genome stability in plants, little is known about the mechanisms of DNArepair in these organelles and the roles of specific proteins. Here, using ciprofloxacin as a DNA damaging agent specific to the organelles, we show that plastids and mitochondria can repairDNA double-strand breaks through an error-prone pathway similar to the microhomology-mediated break-induced replication observed in humans, yeast, and bacteria. This pathway is negatively regulated by the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding proteins from the Whirly family, thus indicating that these proteins could contribute to the accurate repair of plant organelle genomes. To understand the role of Whirly proteins in this process, we solved the crystal structures of several Whirly-DNA complexes. These reveal a nonsequence-specific ssDNA binding mechanism in which DNA is stabilized between domains of adjacent subunits and rendered unavailable for duplex formation and/or protein interactions. Our results suggest a model in which the binding of Whirly proteins to ssDNA would favor accurate repair of DNA double-strand breaks over an error-prone microhomology-mediated break-induced replication repair pathway.

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) recognizes DNA strand interruptions in vivo and triggers its own modification as well as that of other proteins by the sequential addition of ADP-ribose to form polymers. This modification causes a release of PARP-1 from DNA ends and initiates a variety of responses including DNArepair. While PARP-1 has been firmly implicated in base excision and single strand break repair, its role in the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) remains unclear. Here, we show that PARP-1, probably together with DNA ligase III, operates in an alternative pathway of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) that functions as backup to the classical pathway of NHEJ that utilizes DNA-PKcs, Ku, DNA ligase IV, XRCC4, XLF/Cernunnos and Artemis. PARP-1 binds to DNA ends in direct competition with Ku. However, in irradiated cells the higher affinity of Ku for DSBs and an excessive number of other forms of competing DNA lesions limit its contribution to DSB repair. When essential components of the classical pathway of NHEJ are absent, PARP-1 is recruited for DSB repair, particularly in the absence of Ku and non-DSB lesions. This form of DSB repair is sensitive to PARP-1 inhibitors. The results define the function of PARP-1 in DSB repair and characterize a candidate pathway responsible for joining errors causing genomic instability and cancer. PMID:17088286

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) recognizes DNA strand interruptions in vivo and triggers its own modification as well as that of other proteins by the sequential addition of ADP-ribose to form polymers. This modification causes a release of PARP-1 from DNA ends and initiates a variety of responses including DNArepair. While PARP-1 has been firmly implicated in base excision and single strand break repair, its role in the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) remains unclear. Here, we show that PARP-1, probably together with DNA ligase III, operates in an alternative pathway of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) that functions as backup to the classical pathway of NHEJ that utilizes DNA-PKcs, Ku, DNA ligase IV, XRCC4, XLF/Cernunnos and Artemis. PARP-1 binds to DNA ends in direct competition with Ku. However, in irradiated cells the higher affinity of Ku for DSBs and an excessive number of other forms of competing DNA lesions limit its contribution to DSB repair. When essential components of the classical pathway of NHEJ are absent, PARP-1 is recruited for DSB repair, particularly in the absence of Ku and non-DSB lesions. This form of DSB repair is sensitive to PARP-1 inhibitors. The results define the function of PARP-1 in DSB repair and characterize a candidate pathway responsible for joining errors causing genomic instability and cancer. PMID:17088286

Dichlorvos (DDVP), an organophosphate pesticide, is reported to be genotoxic at high concentrations. However, the roles of DNA damage repair pathways in DDVP genotoxicity are not well characterized. To test whether pre- and post-replication pathways are involved, we measured changes in DNA migration (Comet assay) in the midgut cells of Drosophila melanogaster Oregon R+ larvae and in some mutants of pre- (mei-9, mus201, and mus207) and post- (mei-41 and mus209)replication DNArepair pathways. Insects were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of DDVP (up to 15ng/ml) for 48h. After insect exposure to 0.15ng/ml DDVP, we observed greater DNA damage in pre-replication repair mutants; effects on Oregon R+ and post-replication repair mutants were insignificant. In contrast, significant DNA damage was observed in the post-replication repair mutants after their exposure to 1.5 and 15ng/ml DDVP. The pre-replication repair mutant mus207 showed maximum sensitivity to DDVP, suggestive of alkylation damage to DNA. We also examined mutants (SOD- and urate-null) that are sensitive to oxidative stress and the results indicate that significant oxidative DNA damage occurs in DDVP-exposed mutants. This study suggests involvement of both pre- and post-replication repair pathways against DDVP-induced DNA damage in Drosophila, with oxidative DNA damage leading to genotoxicity. PMID:24614193

Keratoconus (KC) is a degenerative corneal disorder for which the exact pathogenesis is not yet known. Oxidative stress is reported to be associated with this disease. The stress may damage corneal biomolecules, including DNA, and such damage is primarily removed by base excision repair (BER). Variation in genes encoding BER components may influence the effectiveness of corneal cells to cope with oxidative stress. In the present work we genotyped 5 polymorphisms of 4 BER genes in 284 patients and 353 controls. The A/A genotype of the c.–1370T>A polymorphism of the DNA polymerase γ (POLG) gene was associated with increased occurrence of KC, while the A/T genotype was associated with decreased occurrence of KC. The A/G genotype and the A allele of the c.1196A>G polymorphism of the X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) were associated with increased, and the G/G genotype and the G allele, with decreased KC occurrence. Also, the C/T and T as well as C/C genotypes and alleles of the c.580C>T polymorphism of the same gene displayed relationship with KC occurrence. Neither the g.46438521G>C polymorphism of the Nei endonuclease VIII-like 1 (NEIL1) nor the c.2285T>C polymorphism of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) was associated with KC. In conclusion, the variability of the XRCC1 and POLG genes may play a role in KC pathogenesis and determine the risk of this disease. PMID:25356504

The DNArepair pathway mismatch repair (MMR) is responsible for the recognition and correction of DNA biosynthetic errors caused by inaccurate nucleotide incorporation during replication. Faulty MMR leads to failure to address the mispairs or insertion deletion loops (IDLs) left behind by the replicative polymerases and results in increased mutation load at the genome. The realization that defective MMR leads to a hypermutation phenotype and increased risk of tumorigenesis highlights the relevance of this pathway for human disease. The association of MMR defects with increased risk of cancer development was first observed in colorectal cancer patients that carried inactivating germline mutations in MMR genes and the disease was named as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Currently, a growing list of cancers is found to be MMR defective and HNPCC has been renamed Lynch syndrome (LS) partly to include the associated risk of developing extra-colonic cancers. In addition, a number of non-hereditary, mostly epigenetic, alterations of MMR genes have been described in sporadic tumors. Besides conferring a strong cancer predisposition, genetic or epigenetic inactivation of MMR genes also renders cells resistant to some chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, diagnosis of MMR deficiency has important implications for the management of the patients, the surveillance of their relatives in the case of LS and for the choice of treatment. Some of the alterations found in MMR genes have already been well defined and their pathogenicity assessed. Despite this substantial wealth of knowledge, the effects of a large number of alterations remain uncharacterized (variants of uncertain significance, VUSs). The advent of personalized genomics is likely to increase the list of VUSs found in MMR genes and anticipates the need of diagnostic tools for rapid assessment of their pathogenicity. This review describes current tools and future strategies for addressing the relevance

Purpose of review To provide both an overview and evidence of the potential etiology of oxidative DNA base damage and repair-signaling in chronic inflammation and histological changes associated with asthma. Recent findings Asthma is initiated/maintained by immunological, genetic/epigenetic and environmental factors. It is a world-wide health problem, as current therapies suppress symptoms rather than prevent/reverse the disease, largely due to gaps in understanding its molecular mechanisms. Inflammation, oxidative stress and DNA damage are inseparable phenomena, but their molecular roles in asthma pathogenesis are unclear. It was found that among oxidatively modified DNA bases, 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) is one of the most abundant, and its levels in DNA and body fluids are considered a biomarker of ongoing asthmatic processes. Free 8-oxoG forms a complex with 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1) and activates RAS-family GTPases that induce gene expression to mobilize innate and adaptive immune systems, along with genes regulating airway hyperplasia, hyper-responsiveness and lung remodeling in atopic and non-atopic asthma. Summary DNA’s integrity must be maintained to prevent mutation, so its continuous repair and downstream signaling “fuels” chronic inflammatory processes in asthma, and forms the basic mechanism whose elucidation will allow the development of new drug targets for the prevention/reversal of lung diseases. PMID:25486379

ABSTRACT DNA damage tolerance (DDT) mechanisms allow cells to synthesize a new DNA strand when the template is damaged. Many mutations resulting from DNA damage in eukaryotes are generated during DDT when cells use the mutagenic translesion polymerases, Rev1 and Polζ, rather than mechanisms with higher fidelity. The coordination among DDT mechanisms is not well understood. We used live-cell imaging to study the function of DDT mechanisms throughout the cell cycle of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We report that checkpoint-dependent mitotic delay provides a cellular mechanism to ensure the completion of high fidelity DDT, largely by homology-directed repair (HDR). DDT by mutagenic polymerases is suppressed during the checkpoint delay by a mechanism dependent on Rad51 recombinase. When cells pass the G2/M checkpoint and can no longer delay mitosis, they completely lose the capacity for HDR and simultaneously exhibit a requirement for Rev1 and Polζ. Thus, DDT is coordinated with the checkpoint response so that the activity of mutagenic polymerases is confined to a vulnerable period of the cell cycle when checkpoint delay and HDR are not possible. PMID:26652183

Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (JAB1) is a multifunctional protein that participates in the control of cell proliferation and the stability of multiple proteins. JAB1 overexpression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancer. JAB1 regulates several key proteins and thereby produces varied effects on cell cycle progression, genome stability and cell survival. However, the biological significance of JAB1 activity in these cellular signaling pathways is unclear. Therefore, we developed mice that were deficient in Jab1 and analyzed the null embryos and heterozygous cells. This disruption of Jab1 in mice resulted in early embryonic lethality due to accelerated apoptosis. Loss of Jab1 expression sensitized both mouse primary embryonic fibroblasts and osteosarcoma cells to γ-radiation-induced apoptosis, with an increase in spontaneous DNA damage and homologous recombination (HR) defects, both of which correlated with reduced levels of the DNArepair protein Rad51 and elevated levels of p53. Furthermore, the accumulated p53 directly binds to Rad51 promoter, inhibits its activity and represents a major mechanism underlying the HR repair defect in Jab1-deficient cells. These results indicate that Jab1 is essential for efficient DNArepair and mechanistically link Jab1 to the maintenance of genome integrity and to cell survival. PMID:20802511

Accumulation of oxidative DNA damage in the human brain has been implicated in etiologies of post-traumatic and age-associated declines in neuronal function. In neurons, because of high metabolic rates and prolonged life span, exposure to free radicals is intense and risk for accumulation of damaged DNA is amplified. While data indicate that the brain is equipped to repair nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, it is unclear whether repair is executed by distinct subsets of the DNA-repair machinery. Likewise, there are no firm assessments of brain capacity for accurate DNArepair under normal and more so compromised conditions. Consequently, the scope of DNArepair in the brain and the impact of resolution of oxidative lesions on neuronal survival and function remain largely unknown. This review considers evidences for brain levels and activities of the base excision repair (BER) pathway in the context of newly available, comprehensive in situ hybridization analyses of genes encoding repair enzymes. These analyses suggest that not all subsets of BER are equally represented in the brain. Because BER is the major repair process for oxidatively damaged DNA, to what extent parsimonious BER may contribute to development of neuronal dysfunction and brain injury under compromised conditions, is discussed. PMID:18374390

Biostimulation of tissues by low intensity lasers has been described on a photobiological basis and clinical protocols are recommended for treatment of various diseases, but their effects on DNA are controversial. The objective of this work was to evaluate effects of low intensity infrared laser exposure on survival and bacterial filamentation in Escherichia coli cultures, and induction of DNA lesions in bacterial plasmids. In E. coli cultures and plasmids exposed to an infrared laser at fluences used to treat pain, bacterial survival and filamentation and DNA lesions in plasmids were evaluated by electrophoretic profile. Data indicate that the infrared laser (i) increases survival of E. coli wild type in 24 h of stationary growth phase, (ii) induces bacterial filamentation, (iii) does not alter topological forms of plasmids and (iv) does not alter the electrophoretic profile of plasmids incubated with exonuclease III or formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase. A low intensity infrared laser at the therapeutic fluences used to treat pain can alter survival of E. coli wild type, induce filamentation in bacterial cells, depending on physiologic conditions and DNArepair, and induce DNA lesions other than single or double DNA strand breaks or alkali-labile sites, which are not targeted by exonuclease III or formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase.

Ether-permeabilized (nucleotide-permeable) cells of Escherichia coli show excision repair of their DNA after having been exposed to the carcinogens N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MeNOUr), N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (EtNOUr) and methyl methanesulfonate (MeSO2OMe) which are known to bind covalently to DNA. Defect mutations in genes uvrA, uvrB, uvrC, recA, recB, recC and rep did not inhibit this excision repair. Enzymic activities involved in this repair were identified by measuring size reduction of DNA, DNA degradation to acid-soluble nucleotides and repair polymerization. 1. In permeabilized cells methyl and ethyl nitrosourea induced endonucleolytic cleavage of endogenous DNA, as determined by size reduction of denatured DNA in neutral and alkaline sucrose gradients. An enzymic activity from E. coli K-12 cell extracts was purified (greater than 2000-fold) and was found to cleave preferentially methyl-nitrosourea-treated DNA and to convert the methylated supercoiled DNA duplex (RFI) of phage phiX 174 into the nicked circular form. 2. Degradation of alkylated cellular DNA to acid solubility was diminished in a mutant lacking the 5' leads to 3' exonucleolytic activity of DNA polymerase I but was not affected in a mutant which lacked the DNA polymerizing but retained the 5' leads 3' exonucleolytic activity of DNA polymerase I. 3. An easily measurable effect is carcinogen-induced repair polymerization, making it suitable for detection of covalent binding of carcinogens and potentially carcinogenic compounds. PMID:170107

Bacillus subtilis is one of the bacterial members provided with a nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) system constituted by the DNA-binding Ku homodimer that recruits the ATP-dependent DNA Ligase D (BsuLigD) to the double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) ends. BsuLigD has inherent polymerization and ligase activities that allow it to fill the short gaps that can arise after realignment of the broken ends and to seal the resulting nicks, contributing to genome stability during the stationary phase and germination of spores. Here we show that BsuLigD also has an intrinsic 5'-2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (dRP) lyase activity located at the N-terminal ligase domain that in coordination with the polymerization and ligase activities allows efficient repairing of 2'-deoxyuridine-containing DNA in an in vitro reconstituted Base Excision Repair (BER) reaction. The requirement of a polymerization, a dRP removal and a final sealing step in BER, together with the joint participation of BsuLigD with the spore specific AP endonuclease in conferring spore resistance to ultrahigh vacuum desiccation suggest that BsuLigD could actively participate in this pathway. We demonstrate the presence of the dRP lyase activity also in the homolog protein from the distantly related bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, allowing us to expand our results to other bacterial LigDs. PMID:26826709

Bacillus subtilis is one of the bacterial members provided with a nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) system constituted by the DNA-binding Ku homodimer that recruits the ATP-dependent DNA Ligase D (BsuLigD) to the double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) ends. BsuLigD has inherent polymerization and ligase activities that allow it to fill the short gaps that can arise after realignment of the broken ends and to seal the resulting nicks, contributing to genome stability during the stationary phase and germination of spores. Here we show that BsuLigD also has an intrinsic 5′-2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (dRP) lyase activity located at the N-terminal ligase domain that in coordination with the polymerization and ligase activities allows efficient repairing of 2′-deoxyuridine-containing DNA in an in vitro reconstituted Base Excision Repair (BER) reaction. The requirement of a polymerization, a dRP removal and a final sealing step in BER, together with the joint participation of BsuLigD with the spore specific AP endonuclease in conferring spore resistance to ultrahigh vacuum desiccation suggest that BsuLigD could actively participate in this pathway. We demonstrate the presence of the dRP lyase activity also in the homolog protein from the distantly related bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, allowing us to expand our results to other bacterial LigDs. PMID:26826709

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a particle radiation therapy that involves the use of a thermal or epithermal neutron beam in combination with a boron ((10)B)-containing compound that specifically accumulates in tumor. (10)B captures neutrons and the resultant fission reaction produces an alpha ((4)He) particle and a recoiled lithium nucleus ((7)Li). These particles have the characteristics of high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation and therefore have marked biological effects. High-LET radiation is a potent inducer of DNA damage, specifically of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of DNA ligase IV, a key player in the non-homologous end-joining repair pathway, in the repair of BNCT-induced DSBs. We analyzed the cellular sensitivity of the mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines Lig4-/- p53-/- and Lig4+/+ p53-/- to irradiation using a thermal neutron beam in the presence or absence of (10)B-para-boronophenylalanine (BPA). The Lig4-/- p53-/- cell line had a higher sensitivity than the Lig4+/+ p53-/-cell line to irradiation with the beam alone or the beam in combination with BPA. In BNCT (with BPA), both cell lines exhibited a reduction of the 50 % survival dose (D 50) by a factor of 1.4 compared with gamma-ray and neutron mixed beam (without BPA). Although it was found that (10)B uptake was higher in the Lig4+/+ p53-/- than in the Lig4-/- p53-/- cell line, the latter showed higher sensitivity than the former, even when compared at an equivalent (10)B concentration. These results indicate that BNCT-induced DNA damage is partially repaired using DNA ligase IV. PMID:26573366

Radiation can damage cellular components, including DNA. Organisms have developed a panoply of means of dealing with DNA damage. Some repair paths have rather narrow substrate specificity (e.g. photolyases), which act on specific pyrimidine photoproducts in a specific type (e.g., DNA) and conformation (double-stranded B conformation) of nucleic acid. Others, for example, nucleotide excision repair, deal with larger classes of damages, in this case bulky adducts in DNA. A detailed discussion of DNArepair mechanisms is beyond the scope of this article, but one can be found in the excellent book of Friedberg et al. [1] for further detail. However, some DNA damages and paths for repair of those damages important for photobiology will be outlined below as a basis for the specific examples of genetic and molecular analysis that will be presented below.

Although thousands of DNA damaging events occur in each cell every day, efficient DNArepair pathways have evolved to counteract them. The DNArepair machinery plays a key role in maintaining genomic stability by avoiding the maintenance of mutations. The DNArepair enzymes continuously monitor the chromosomes to correct any damage that is caused by exogenous and endogenous mutagens. If DNA damage in proliferating cells is not repaired because of an inadequate expression of DNArepair genes, it might increase the risk of cancer. In addition to mutations, which can be either inherited or somatically acquired, epigenetic silencing of DNArepair genes has been associated with carcinogenesis. Gastric cancer represents the second highest cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The disease develops from the accumulation of several genetic and epigenetic changes during the lifetime. Among the risk factors, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is considered the main driving factor to gastric cancer development. Thus, in this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the role of H. pylori infection on the epigenetic regulation of DNArepair machinery in gastric carcinogenesis. PMID:26290630

Previous studies on DNA damage and repair have involved in vitro laboratory procedures that induce a single type of lesion in naked templates. Although repair of singular, sequestered types of DNA damage has shown some success, forensic and ancient specimens likely contain a number of different types of lesions. This study sought to (1) develop protocols to damage DNA in its native state, (2) generate a pool of candidate samples for repair that more likely emulate authentic forensic samples, and (3) assess the ability of the PreCR(TM) Repair Mix to repair the resultant lesions. Complexed, native DNA is more difficult to damage than naked DNA. Modified procedures included the use of higher concentrations and longer exposure times. Three types of samples, those that demonstrated damage based on short tandem repeat (STR) profile signals, were selected for repair experiments: environmentally damaged bloodstains, bleach-damaged whole blood, and human skeletal remains. Results showed trends of improved performance of STR profiling of bleach-damaged DNA. However, the repair assay did not improve DNA profiles from environmentally damaged bloodstains or bone, and in some cases resulted in lower RFU values for STR alleles. The extensive spectrum of DNA damage and myriad combinations of lesions that can be present in forensic samples appears to pose a challenge for the in vitro PreCR(TM) assay. The data suggest that the use of PreCR in casework should be considered with caution due to the assay's varied results. PMID:24792635

Cellular supply of deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) is crucial for DNA replication and repair. In this study, we investigated the role of CMP/UMP kinase (CMPK), an enzyme catalyzes CDP formation, in DNArepair. Knockdown of CMPK delays DNArepair during recovery from UV damage in serum-deprived cells but not in the cells without serum deprivation. Exogenous supply of cytidine or deoxycytidine facilitates DNArepair dependent on CMPK in serum-deprived cells, suggesting that the synthesis of dCDP or CDP determines the rate of repair. However, CMPK knockdown does not affect the steady state level of dCTP in serum-deprived cells. We then found the localization of CMPK at DNA damage sites and its complex formation with Tip60 and ribonucleotide reductase. Our analysis demonstrated that the N-terminal 32-amino-acid of CMPK is required for its recruitment to DNA damage sites in a Tip60-dependent manner. Re-expression of wild-type but not N-terminus deleted CMPK restores the efficiency of DNArepair in CMPK knockdown cells. We proposed that site-specific dCDP formation via CMPK provides a means to facilitate DNArepair in serum-deprived cells. PMID:25659034

Radioimmunoassays were used to monitor the removal of antibody-binding sites associated with the two major UV radiation-induced DNA photoproducts (cyclobutane dimers and (6-4) photoproducts). Unlike with cultured human cells, where (6-4) photoproducts are removed more rapidly than cyclobutane dimers, the kinetics of repair were similar for both lesions. Repair capacity in wild type diminished throughout development. The radioimmunoassays were also employed to confirm the absence of photoreactivation in C. elegans. In addition, three radiation-sensitive mutants (rad-1, rad-2, rad-7) displayed normal repair capacities. An excision defect was much more pronounced in larvae than embryos in the fourth mutant tested (rad-3). This correlates with the hypersensitivity pattern of this mutant and suggests that DNArepair may be developmentally regulated in C. elegans. The mechanism of DNArepair in C. elegans as well as the relationship between the repair of specific photoproducts and UV radiation sensitivity during development are discussed.

The kinetics of recombinational repair of plasmid DNA double-strand breaks (dsb) and gaps (dsg) of different sizes and ends were studied. For this purpose we used the mutant rad54-3 of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is temperature dependent with respect to genetic recombination and rejoining of dsb/dsg, allowing us to stop these processes by shifting cells to the restrictive temperature. We found that the kinetics of repair of cohesive-ended dsb and small gaps (up to 400 bp) are similar and characterized by two phases separated by a plateau. In contrast, large gap (1.4 kbp) repair proceeds with different kinetics exhibiting only the second phase. We also investigated the repair kinetics of 400 bp gaps introduced into plasmid DNA with and without homology to chromosomal DNA allowing recombinational repair and non-recombinational repair (ligation), respectively. We found that gaps introduced in plasmid sequences homologous to chromosomal DNA are rapidly repaired by recombination. In contrast, recircularization of the gapped plasmid by ligation is as slow and inefficient as ligation of a cohesive-ended dsb. The kinetics of repair of gapped plasmids may be explained by assuming a constitutive level of enzymes responsible for the first phase of recombinational repair, while inducible enzymes, which become available at the end of the plateau, carry out the second phase of repair. PMID:7594968

Tissue-specific iron content is tightly regulated to simultaneously satisfy specialized metabolic needs and avoid cytotoxicity. In the brain, disruption of iron homeostasis may occur in acute as well as progressive injuries associated with neuronal dysfunction and death. We hypothesized that adverse effects of disrupted metal homeostasis on brain function may involve impairment of DNArepair processes. Because in the brain, the base excision repair (BER) pathway is central for handling oxidatively damaged DNA, we investigated effects of elevated iron and zinc on key BER enzymes. In vitro DNArepair assays revealed inhibitory effects of metals on BER activities, including the incision of abasic sites, 5'-flap cleavage, gap filling DNA synthesis and ligation. Using the comet assay, we showed that while metals at concentrations which inhibit BER activities in in vitro assays, did not induce direct genomic damage in cultured primary neurons, they significantly delayed repair of genomic DNA damage induced by sublethal exposure to H(2)O(2). Thus, in the brain even a mild transient metal overload, may adversely affect the DNArepair capacity and thereby compromise genomic integrity and initiate long-term deleterious sequelae including neuronal dysfunction and death. PMID:19619136

This Conference will examine DNArepair as the key component in genomic surveillance that is so crucial to the overall integrity and function of mammalian cells. Recent discoveries have catapulted the field of DNArepair into a pivotal position for fundamental investigations into oncology, aging, environmental health, and developmental biology. We hope to highlight the most promising and exciting avenues of research in robust discussions at this conference. This Mammalian DNARepair Gordon Conference differs from the past conferences in this series, in which the programs were broader in scope, with respect to topics and biological systems covered. A conference sponsored by the Genetics Society in April 1998 emphasized recombinational mechanisms for double-strand break repair and the role of mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal cancer. These topics will therefore receive somewhat less emphasis in the upcoming Conference. In view of the recent mechanistic advances in mammalian DNArepair, an upcoming comprehensive DNArepair meeting next autumn at Hilton Head; and the limited enrollment for Gordon Conferences we have decided to focus session-by-session on particular areas of controversy and/or new developments specifically in mammalian systems. Thus, the principal presentations will draw upon results from other cellular systems only to the extent that they impact our understanding of mammalian DNArepair.

The Royal Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2015 to Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar for their discoveries in fundamental mechanisms of DNArepair. This pioneering research described three different essential pathways that correct DNA damage, safeguard the integrity of the genetic code to ensure its accurate replication through generations, and allow proper cell division. Working independently of each other, Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar delineated the mechanisms of base excision repair, mismatch repair and nucleotide excision repair, respectively. These breakthroughs challenged and dismissed the early view that the DNA molecule was very stable, paving the way for the discovery of human hereditary diseases associated with distinct DNArepair deficiencies and a susceptibility to cancer. It also brought a deeper understanding of cancer as well as neurodegenerative or neurological diseases, and let to novel strategies to treat cancer. PMID:27183258

Nonhomologous end-joining represents the major pathway used by human cells to repairDNA double-strand breaks. It relies on the XRCC4/DNA ligase IV complex to reseal DNA strands. Here we report the high-resolution crystal structure of human XRCC4 bound to the carboxy-terminal tandem BRCT repeat of DNA ligase IV. The structure differs from the homologous Saccharomyces cerevisiae complex and reveals an extensive DNA ligase IV binding interface formed by a helix-loop-helix structure within the inter-BRCT linker region, as well as significant interactions involving the second BRCT domain, which induces a kink in the tail region of XRCC4. We further demonstrate that interaction with the second BRCT domain of DNA ligase IV is necessary for stable binding to XRCC4 in cells, as well as to achieve efficient dominant-negative effects resulting in radiosensitization after ectopic overexpression of DNA ligase IV fragments in human fibroblasts. Together our findings provide unanticipated insight for understanding the physical and functional architecture of the nonhomologous end-joining ligation complex.

In eukaryotes, DNA is compacted into a complex structure known as chromatin. The unravelling of DNA is a crucial step in DNArepair, replication, transcription and recombination as this allows access to DNA for these processes. Failure to package DNA into the nucleosome, the individual unit of chromatin, can lead to genomic instability, driving a cell into apoptosis, senescence, or cellular proliferation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage causes destabilisation of chromatin integrity. UV irradiation induces DNA damage such as photolesions and subjects the chromatin to substantial rearrangements, causing the arrest of transcription forks and cell cycle arrest. Highly conserved processes known as nucleotide and base excision repair (NER and BER) then begin to repair these lesions. However, if DNArepair fails, the cell may be forced into apoptosis. The modification of various histones as well as nucleosome remodelling via ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complexes are required not only to repair these UV-induced DNA lesions, but also for apoptosis signalling. Histone modifications and nucleosome remodelling in response to UV also lead to the recruitment of various repair and pro-apoptotic proteins. Thus, the way in which a cell responds to UV irradiation via these modifications is important in determining its fate. Failure of these DNA damage response steps can lead to cellular proliferation and oncogenic development, causing skin cancer, hence these chromatin changes are critical for a proper response to UV-induced injury. PMID:22174650

In recent years, numbers of studies examining excision rates of DNA damaged lesions in defined, subgenomic sequences have shown that DNArepair is not a uniform process throughout the genome. Here, the authors report data on the preferential, in vivo DNArepair of alkylation-induced lesions within specific DNA sequences of essential and nonessential genes. The formation and rate of removal of 3-alkyladenine were studied in these DNA fragments following treatment of human astrocytes with dimethyl sulfate. The distribution and quantitation of this damaged lesion in the isolated DNA from these cells were determined by a polymerase chain reaction assay. The results indicate that alkyladenines are more efficiently repaired in DNA fragments of essential genes than in comparable fragments of nonessential genes. In subsequent experiments, the repair rate of 3-alkyladenine was examined in DNA isolated from alkylation-treated human astrocytes, grown in serum-free medium to inhibit proliferation. The rate of repair of alkylation-induced lesions in essential and nonessential gene fragments also differed in actively growing and quiescent human astrocytes. The results of this study indicate that transcription plays an important role in the efficient removal of 3-alkyladenine by DNArepair systems.

Etoposide is a widely used anticancer drug and a DNA topoisomerase II (Top2) inhibitor. Etoposide produces Top2-attached single-strand breaks (Top2-SSB complex) and double-strand breaks (Top2-DSB complex) that are thought to induce cell death in tumor cells. The Top2-SSB complex is more abundant than the Top2-DSB complex. Human tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2) is required for efficient repair of Top2-DSB complexes. However, the identities of the proteins involved in the repair of Top2-SSB complexes are unknown, although yeast genetic data indicate that 5' to 3' structure-specific DNA endonuclease activity is required for alternative repair of Top2 DNA damage. In this study, we purified a flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) and xeroderma pigmentosum group G protein (XPG) in the 5' to 3' structure-specific DNA endonuclease family and synthesized single-strand break DNA substrates containing a 5'-phoshotyrosyl bond, mimicking the Top2-SSB complex. We found that FEN1 and XPG did not remove the 5'-phoshotyrosyl bond-containing DSB substrates but removed the 5'-phoshotyrosyl bond-containing SSB substrates. Under DNArepair conditions, FEN1 efficiently repaired the 5'-phoshotyrosyl bond-containing SSB substrates in the presence of DNA ligase and DNA polymerase. Therefore, FEN1 may play an important role in the repair of Top2-SSB complexes in etoposide-treated cells. PMID:26581212

Oxidatively induced DNA damage is caused in living organisms by a variety of damaging agents, resulting in the formation of a multiplicity of lesions, which are mutagenic and cytotoxic. Unless repaired by DNArepair mechanisms before DNA replication, DNA lesions can lead to genomic instability, which is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Oxidatively induced DNA damage is mainly repaired by base excision repair pathway with the involvement of a plethora of proteins. Cancer tissues develop greater DNArepair capacity than normal tissues by overexpressing DNArepair proteins. Increased DNArepair in tumors that removes DNA lesions generated by therapeutic agents before they became toxic is a major mechanism in the development of therapy resistance. Evidence suggests that DNArepair capacity may be a predictive biomarker of patient response. Thus, knowledge of DNA–protein expressions in disease-free and cancerous tissues may help predict and guide development of treatments and yield the best therapeutic response. Our laboratory has developed methodologies that use mass spectrometry with isotope dilution for the measurement of expression of DNArepair proteins in human tissues and cultured cells. For this purpose, full-length 15N-labeled analogs of a number of human DNArepair proteins have been produced and purified to be used as internal standards for positive identification and accurate quantification. This chapter describes in detail the protocols of this work. The use of 15N-labeled proteins as internal standards for the measurement of several DNArepair proteins in vivo is also presented. PMID:26791985

DNArepair is critical for the maintenance of genome stability. Upon genotoxic stress, dysregulated DNArepair may induce apoptosis. Translin-associated factor X (TRAX), which was initially identified as a binding partner of Translin, has been implicated in genome stability. However, the exact role of TRAX in DNArepair remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that TRAX participates in the ATM/H2AX-mediated DNArepair machinery by interacting with ATM and stabilizing the MRN complex at double-strand breaks. The exogenous expression of wild-type (WT) TRAX, but not a TRAX variant lacking the nuclear localization signal (NLS), rescued the vulnerability of TRAX-null mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs). This finding confirms the importance of the nuclear localization of TRAX in the repair of DNA damage. Compared with WT MEFs, TRAX-null MEFs exhibited impaired DNArepair (for example, reduced phosphorylation of ATM and H2AX) after treatment with ultra violet-C or γ-ray irradiation and a higher incidence of p53-mediated apoptosis. Our findings demonstrate that TRAX is required for MRN complex-ATM-H2AX signaling, which optimizes DNArepair by interacting with the activated ATM and protects cells from genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis. PMID:26096928

Understanding the effects of UV, and increased levels of UV, on DNA in living organisms requires knowledge of both the frequency of damages induced by the quantities and quality (wavelength composition) of the damaging radiation, and of the capacity of the organisms to carry out efficient and accurate repair. The major levels of uncertainty in understanding the responses of intact organisms, both plant and animal, to UV indicates that we cannot assess accurately the impact of stratospheric ozone depletion without major increases in knowledge of DNA damage and repair. What repair paths does alfalfa use for dealing with UV damages? The rate of pyrimidine dimers induced at a low exposure of 280 nm radiation to alfalfa seedlings, was observed to be about 8 dimers/million bases. After UV exposure, the seedlings were kept in the dark or exposed to blue light filtered by a yellow. filter which excluded wavelengths shorter than about 405 nm. Seedlings so exposed carry out photorepair, but do not seem to remove dimers by excision.

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) has a broad clinical application as an effective anticancer drug. However, development of resistance to the cytotoxic effects is a limiting factor. In an attempt to understand the mechanism of resistance, the authors have employed a host cell reactivation assay of DNArepair using a cis-DDP-damaged plasmid vector. The efficiency of DNArepair was assayed by measuring the activity of an enzyme coded for by the plasmid vector. The plasmid expression vector pRSV cat contains the bacterial gene coding for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) in a configuration which permits expression in mammalian cells. The plasmid was transfected into repair-proficient and -deficient Chinese hamster ovary cells, and CAT activity was subsequently measured in cell lysates. In the repair-deficient cells, one cis-DDP adduct per cat gene was sufficient to eliminate expression. An equivalent inhibition of CAT expression in the repair-proficient cells did not occur until about 8 times the amount of damage was introduced into the plasmid. These results implicate DNA intrastrand cross-links as the lesions responsible for the inhibition of CAT expression. This assay was used to investigate the potential role of DNArepair in mediating cis-DDP resistance in murine leukemia L1210 cells. The assay readily detects the presence or absence of repair and confirms that these resistant L1210 cells have an enhanced capacity for repair of cis-DDP-induced intrastrand cross-links.

Exposure to ionizing radiation increases the incidence of cancer. However, predicting which individuals are at most risk from radiation exposure is a distant goal. Predictive ability is needed to guide policies that regulate radiation exposure and ensure that medical treatments have maximum benefit and minimum risk. Differences between people in susceptibility to radiation are largely based on their genotype, the genes inherited from their parents. Among the important genes are those that produce proteins that repairDNA damaged by radiation. Base Excision Repair (BER) proteins repair single strand breaks and oxidized bases in DNA. Double Strand Break Repair proteins repair broken chromosomes. Using technologies and information from the Human Genome Project, we have previously determined that the DNA sequence of DNArepair genes varies within the human population. An average of 3-4 different variants were found that affect the protein for each of 37 genes studied. The average frequency of these variants is 5%. Given the many genes in each DNArepair pathway and their many variants, technical ability to determine an individual's repair genotype greatly exceeds ability to interpret the information. A long-term goal is to relate DNArepair genotypes to health risk from radiation. This study focused on the BER pathway. The BER genes are known, variants of the genes have been identified at LLNL, and LLNL had recently developed an assay for BER function using white blood cells. The goal of this initial effort was to begin developing data that could be used to test the hypothesis that many different genotypes have similar DNArepair capacity phenotypes (function). Relationships between genotype and phenotype could then be used to group genotypes with similar function and ultimately test the association of groups of genotypes with health risk from radiation. Genotypes with reduced repair function are expected to increase risk of radiation-induced health effects. The goal

Drosophila mei-9 is essential for several DNArepair and recombination pathways, including nucleotide excision repair (NER), interstrand crosslink repair, and meiotic recombination. To better understand the role of MEI-9 in these processes, we characterized 10 unique mutant alleles of mei-9. These include a P-element insertion that disrupts repair functions but not the meiotic function; three nonsense mutations, one of which has nearly wild-type levels of protein; three missense mutations, one of which disrupts the meiotic function but not repair functions; two small in-frame deletions; and one frameshift. PMID:15166153

Human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) is a key enzyme responsible for initiating the base excision repair of 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine (oxoG). In this study a thermodynamic analysis of the interaction of hOGG1 with specific and non-specific DNA-substrates is performed based on stopped-flow kinetic data. The standard Gibbs energies, enthalpies and entropies of specific stages of the repair process were determined via kinetic measurements over a temperature range using the van’t Hoff approach. The three steps which are accompanied with changes in the DNA conformations were detected via 2-aminopurine fluorescence in the process of binding and recognition of damaged oxoG base by hOGG1. The thermodynamic analysis has demonstrated that the initial step of the DNA substrates binding is mainly governed by energy due to favorable interactions in the process of formation of the recognition contacts, which results in negative enthalpy change, as well as due to partial desolvation of the surface between the DNA and enzyme, which results in positive entropy change. Discrimination of non-specific G base versus specific oxoG base is occurring in the second step of the oxoG-substrate binding. This step requires energy consumption which is compensated by the positive entropy contribution. The third binding step is the final adjustment of the enzyme/substrate complex to achieve the catalytically competent state which is characterized by large endothermicity compensated by a significant increase of entropy originated from the dehydration of the DNA grooves. PMID:24911585

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), a member of the phosphatidyl-inositol (PI)3-kinase family, is involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Its regulatory subunit, Ku, binds to DNA and recruits the kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). We show here a new role of DNA-PK in the modulation of the process of nucleotide excision repair (NER) in vivo since, as compared with their respective parental cell lines, DNA-PK mutants (scid , V-3 and xrs 6 cells) exhibit sensitivity to UV-C irradiation (2.0- to 2.5-fold) and cisplatin ( approximately 3- to 4-fold) associated with a decreased activity (40-55%) of unscheduled DNA synthesis after UV-C irradiation. Moreover, we observed that wortmannin sensitized parental cells in vivo when combined with either cisplatin or UV-C light, but had no effect on the DNA-PKcs deficient scid cells. Despite a lower repair synthesis activity (approximately 2-fold) measured in vitro with nuclear cell extracts from DNA-PK mutants, a direct involvement of DNA-PK in the NER reaction in vitro has not been observed. This study establishes a regulatory function of DNA-PK in the NER process in vivo but rules out a physical role of the complex in the repair machinery at the site of the DNA lesion. PMID:9490781

It is well known that ionizing radiation (IR) can damage DNA through a direct action, producing single- and double-strand breaks on DNA double helix, as well as an indirect effect by generating oxygen reactive species in the cells. Mammals have evolved several and distinct DNArepair pathways in order to maintain genomic stability and avoid tumour cell transformation. This review reports important data showing a huge interindividual variability on sensitivity to IR and in susceptibility to developing cancer; this variability is principally represented by genetic polymorphisms, that is, DNArepair gene polymorphisms. In particular we have focussed on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of XRCC1, a gene that encodes for a scaffold protein involved basically in Base Excision Repair (BER). In this paper we have reported and presented recent studies that show an influence of XRCC1 variants on DNArepair capacity and susceptibility to breast cancer. PMID:20798883

Nucleotide excision repair disorders display a wide range of clinical syndromes and presentations, all associated at the molecular level by dysfunction of genes participating in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Genotype-phenotype relationships are remarkably complex and not well understood. This article outlines neurodegenerative symptoms seen in nucleotide excision repair disorders and explores the role that nucleotide excision repair dysfunction can play in the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:26116382

Cdc14 is a phosphatase that controls mitotic exit and cytokinesis in budding yeast. In mammals, the two Cdc14 homologues, Cdc14A and Cdc14B, have been proposed to regulate DNA damage repair, whereas the mitotic exit and cytokinesis rely on another phosphatase, PP2A-B55α. It is unclear if the two Cdc14s work redundantly in DNArepair and which repair pathways they participate in. More importantly, their target(s) in DNArepair remains elusive. Here we report that Cdc14B knockout (Cdc14B−/−) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) showed defects in repairing ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which occurred only at late passages when Cdc14A levels were low. This repair defect could occur at early passages if Cdc14A levels were also compromised. These results indicate redundancy between Cdc14B and Cdc14A in DSB repair. Further, we found that Cdc14B deficiency impaired both homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), the two major DSB repair pathways. We also provide evidence that Cdh1 is a downstream target of Cdc14B in DSB repair. PMID:26283732

Some of the physicists and biologists who contributed to early studies on the nature of the gene employed physical tools such as ionizing and ultraviolet (UV) radiation as experimental tools. The abnormalities of gene function that resulted from these perturbations led some investigators to explore the nature of DNA damage and to the (initially providential) discovery of DNArepair. However, rapid progress in this field through the efforts of molecular biologists conversant with DNA damage and repair was hampered by (among other things) a greater intellectual interest in the nature of DNA replication and the way DNA encoded the formation of proteins. PMID:12531032

Repair deficient mutants of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are being used to identify human genes that correct the repair defects and to study mechanisms of DNArepair and mutagenesis. Five independent tertiary DNA transformants were obtained from the EM9 mutant. In these clones a human DNA sequence was identified that correlated with the resistance of the cells to CldUrd. After Eco RI digestion, Southern transfer, and hybridization of transformant DNAs with the BLUR-8 Alu family sequence, a common fragment of 25 to 30 kb was present. 37 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

For decades, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were the two only approaches exploiting DNArepair processes to fight against cancer. Nowadays, cancer therapeutics can be a major challenge when it comes to seeking personalized targeted medicine that is both effective and selective to the malignancy. Over the last decade, the discovery of new targeted therapies against DNA damage signalling and repair has offered the possibility of therapeutic improvements in oncology. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of DNA damage signalling and repair inhibitors, their molecular and cellular effects, and future therapeutic use. PMID:26610585

For decades, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were the two only approaches exploiting DNArepair processes to fight against cancer. Nowadays, cancer therapeutics can be a major challenge when it comes to seeking personalized targeted medicine that is both effective and selective to the malignancy. Over the last decade, the discovery of new targeted therapies against DNA damage signalling and repair has offered the possibility of therapeutic improvements in oncology. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of DNA damage signalling and repair inhibitors, their molecular and cellular effects, and future therapeutic use. PMID:26610585

Although homologous recombination and DNArepair phenomena in bacteria were initially extensively studied without regard to any relationship between the two, it is now appreciated that DNArepair and homologous recombination are related through DNA replication. In Escherichia coli, two-strand DNA damage, generated mostly during replication on a template DNA containing one-strand damage, is repaired by recombination with a homologous intact duplex, usually the sister chromosome. The two major types of two-strand DNA lesions are channeled into two distinct pathways of recombinational repair: daughter-strand gaps are closed by the RecF pathway, while disintegrated replication forks are reestablished by the RecBCD pathway. The phage λ recombination system is simpler in that its major reaction is to link two double-stranded DNA ends by using overlapping homologous sequences. The remarkable progress in understanding the mechanisms of recombinational repair in E. coli over the last decade is due to the in vitro characterization of the activities of individual recombination proteins. Putting our knowledge about recombinational repair in the broader context of DNA replication will guide future experimentation. PMID:10585965

Tobacco-associated nitrosamines are known carcinogens causing DNA damage in epithelial cells of the head and neck. A matched case-control study was performed to evaluate the sensitivity of patients with squamous cell cancer (SCC) of the oropharynx, and controls to tobacco-associated nitrosamines. Quantitative DNArepair was evaluated following a period of 15 and 30 min. Fresh biopsies from 100 male donors of macroscopically healthy oropharyngeal cells and lymphocytes (50 SCC patients and 50 controls) were incubated with N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) or N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN). DNA damage in epithelial cells and lymphocytes was assessed using the comet assay. Following incubation with NDEA, cells underwent a period of DNArepair. All of the nitrosamines caused equivalent genotoxic damage in mucosal cells and lymphocytes of the two groups. Lymphocyte DNArepair capacity in the control group (26.8 and 37.1% after 15 and 30 min) was comparable to the tumor group (23.6 and 40.6%). However, epithelial cell DNArepair capacity of carcinoma patients was significantly reduced to 17.1% (15 min) and 23% (30 min) compared to the DNArepair of the control group (36.2%, 15 min and 46.0%, 30 min). Mutagen sensitivity was comparable in patients and controls. Thus, reduced epithelial cell DNArepair capacity of tumor patients is a possible endogenous risk factor for the development of head and neck squamous cell cancer. PMID:22740863

The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase composed of a large catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and the Ku70/80 heterodimer. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in elucidating the role of DNA-PK in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), the major pathway for repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks in human cells and recently, additional roles for DNA-PK have been reported. In this review, we will describe the biochemistry, structure and function of DNA-PK, its roles in DNA double strand break repair and its newly described roles in mitosis and other cellular processes. PMID:25550082

HIV replication in nondividing host cells occurs in the presence of high concentrations of noncanonical dUTP, apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing, enzyme-catalytic, polypeptide-like 3 (APOBEC3) cytidine deaminases, and SAMHD1 (a cell cycle-regulated dNTP triphosphohydrolase) dNTPase, which maintains low concentrations of canonical dNTPs in these cells. These conditions favor the introduction of marks of DNA damage into viral cDNA, and thereby prime it for processing by DNArepair enzymes. Accessory protein Vpr, found in all primate lentiviruses, and its HIV-2/simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) SIVsm paralogue Vpx, hijack the CRL4(DCAF1) E3 ubiquitin ligase to alleviate some of these conditions, but the extent of their interactions with DNArepair proteins has not been thoroughly characterized. Here, we identify HLTF, a postreplication DNArepair helicase, as a common target of HIV-1/SIVcpz Vpr proteins. We show that HIV-1 Vpr reprograms CRL4(DCAF1) E3 to direct HLTF for proteasome-dependent degradation independent from previously reported Vpr interactions with base excision repair enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG2) and crossover junction endonuclease MUS81, which Vpr also directs for degradation via CRL4(DCAF1) E3. Thus, separate functions of HIV-1 Vpr usurp CRL4(DCAF1) E3 to remove key enzymes in three DNArepair pathways. In contrast, we find that HIV-2 Vpr is unable to efficiently program HLTF or UNG2 for degradation. Our findings reveal complex interactions between HIV-1 and the DNArepair machinery, suggesting that DNArepair plays important roles in the HIV-1 life cycle. The divergent interactions of HIV-1 and HIV-2 with DNArepair enzymes and SAMHD1 imply that these viruses use different strategies to guard their genomes and facilitate their replication in the host. PMID:27335459

DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in mammalian cells is dependent on the Ku DNA binding protein complex. However, the mechanism of Ku-mediated repair is not understood. We discovered a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene (KU80) that is structurally similar to the 80-kDa mammalian Ku subunit. Ku8O associates with the product of the HDF1 gene, forming the major DNA end-binding complex of yeast cells. DNA end binding was absent in ku80delta, hdf1delta, or ku80delta hdf1delta strains. Antisera specific for epitope tags on Ku80 and Hdf1 were used in supershift and immunodepletion experiments to show that both proteins are directly involved in DNA end binding. In vivo, the efficiency of two DNA end-joining processes were reduced >10-fold in ku8Odelta, hdfldelta, or ku80delta hdf1delta strains: repair of linear plasmid DNA and repair of an HO endonuclease-induced chromosomal DSB. These DNA-joining defects correlated with DNA damage sensitivity, because ku80delta and hdf1delta strains were also sensitive to methylmethane sulfonate (MMS). Ku-dependent repair is distinct from homologous recombination, because deletion of KU80 and HDF1 increased the MMS sensitivity of rad52delta. Interestingly, rad5Odelta, also shown here to be defective in end joining, was epistatic with Ku mutations for MMS repair and end joining. Therefore, Ku and Rad50 participate in an end-joining pathway that is distinct from homologous recombinational repair. Yeast DNA end joining is functionally analogous to DSB repair and V(D)J recombination in mammalian cells. PMID:8754818

The Cas9 endonuclease can be targeted to genomic sequences by programming the sequence of an associated single guide RNA (sgRNA). For unknown reasons, the activity of these Cas9-sgRNA combinations varies widely at different genomic loci and in different cell types. Thus, disrupting genes in polyploid cell lines or when using poorly performing sgRNAs can require extensive downstream screening to identify homozygous clones. Here we find that non-homologous single-stranded DNA greatly stimulates Cas9-mediated gene disruption in the absence of homology-directed repair. This stimulation increases the frequency of clones with homozygous gene disruptions and rescues otherwise ineffective sgRNAs. The molecular outcome of enhanced gene disruption depends upon cellular context, stimulating deletion of genomic sequence or insertion of non-homologous DNA at the edited locus in a cell line specific manner. Non-homologous DNA appears to divert cells towards error-prone instead of error-free repair pathways, dramatically increasing the frequency of gene disruption. PMID:27530320

The Cas9 endonuclease can be targeted to genomic sequences by programming the sequence of an associated single guide RNA (sgRNA). For unknown reasons, the activity of these Cas9–sgRNA combinations varies widely at different genomic loci and in different cell types. Thus, disrupting genes in polyploid cell lines or when using poorly performing sgRNAs can require extensive downstream screening to identify homozygous clones. Here we find that non-homologous single-stranded DNA greatly stimulates Cas9-mediated gene disruption in the absence of homology-directed repair. This stimulation increases the frequency of clones with homozygous gene disruptions and rescues otherwise ineffective sgRNAs. The molecular outcome of enhanced gene disruption depends upon cellular context, stimulating deletion of genomic sequence or insertion of non-homologous DNA at the edited locus in a cell line specific manner. Non-homologous DNA appears to divert cells towards error-prone instead of error-free repair pathways, dramatically increasing the frequency of gene disruption. PMID:27530320

DNA base composition is a fundamental genome feature. However, the evolutionary pattern of base composition and its potential causes have not been well understood. Here, we report findings from comparative analysis of base composition at the whole-genome level across 2210 species, the polymorphic-site level across eight population comparison sets, and the mutation-site level in 12 mutation-tracking experiments. We first demonstrate that base composition follows the individual-strand base equality rule at the genome, chromosome and polymorphic-site levels. More intriguingly, clear separation of base-composition values calculated across polymorphic sites was consistently observed between basal and derived groups, suggesting common underlying mechanisms. Individuals in the derived groups show an A&T-increase/G&C-decrease pattern compared with the basal groups. Spontaneous and induced mutation experiments indicated these patterns of base composition change can emerge across mutation sites. With base-composition across polymorphic sites as a genome phenotype, genome scans with human 1000 Genomes and HapMap3 data identified a set of significant genomic regions enriched with Gene Ontology terms for DNArepair. For three DNArepair genes (BRIP1, PMS2P3 and TTDN), ENCODE data provided evidence for interaction between genomic regions containing these genes and regions containing the significant SNPs. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms of genome evolution. PMID:25765652

Although formaldehyde has been shown to induce many kinds of DNA damage both in in vitro and in vivo assay systems, initial DNA-protein crosslink (DPC) formation might play a major role in FA-induced mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Several DNArepair pathways, such as base excisi...

Oxidative DNA damage causes blocks and errors in transcription and replication, leading to cell death and genomic instability. Although repair mechanisms of the damage have been extensively analyzed in vitro, the actual in vivo repair processes remain largely unknown. Here, by irradiation with an UVA laser through a microscope lens, we have conditionally produced single-strand breaks and oxidative base damage at restricted nuclear regions of mammalian cells. We showed, in real time after irradiation by using antibodies and GFP-tagged proteins, rapid and ordered DNArepair processes of oxidative DNA damage in human cells. Furthermore, we characterized repair pathways by using repair-defective mammalian cells and found that DNA polymerase accumulated at single-strand breaks and oxidative base damage by means of its 31- and 8-kDa domains, respectively, and that XRCC1 is essential for both polymerase -dependent and proliferating cell nuclear antigen-dependent repair pathways of single-strand breaks. Thus, the repair of oxidative DNA damage is based on temporal and functional interactions among various proteins operating at the site of DNA damage in living cells.

DNA interstrand crosslinkers, a chemically diverse group of compounds which also induce alkylation of bases and DNA intrastrand crosslinks, are extensively utilized for cancer therapy. Understanding the cellular response to DNA damage induced by these agents is critical for more effective utilization of these compounds and for the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Importantly, the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) involves many distinct DNArepair pathways, including nucleotide excision repair, translesion synthesis (TLS), and homologous recombination (HR). Additionally, proteins implicated in the pathophysiology of the multigenic disease Fanconi anemia (FA) have a role in the repair of ICLs that is not well understood. Cells from FA patients are hypersensitive to agents that induce ICLs, therefore FA proteins are potentially novel therapeutic targets. Here we will review current research directed at identifying FA genes and understanding the function of FA proteins in DNA damage responses. We will also examine interactions of FA proteins with other repair proteins and pathways, including signaling networks, which are potentially involved in ICL repair. Potential approaches to the modulation of FA protein function to enhance therapeutic outcome will be discussed. Also, mutation of many genes that encode proteins involved in ICL repair, including FA genes, increases susceptibility to cancer. A better understanding of these pathways is therefore critical for the design of individualized therapies tailored to the genetic profile of a particular malignancy. For this purpose, we will also review evidence for the association of mutation of FA genes with cancer in non-FA patients. PMID:19200054

Maintenance of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is essential for proper cellular function. The accumulation of damage and mutations in the mtDNA leads to diseases, cancer, and aging. Mammalian mitochondria have proficient base excision repair, but the existence of other DNArepair pathways is still unclear. Deficiencies in DNA mismatch repair (MMR), which corrects base mismatches and small loops, are associated with DNA microsatellite instability, accumulation of mutations, and cancer. MMR proteins have been identified in yeast and coral mitochondria; however, MMR proteins and function have not yet been detected in human mitochondria. Here we show that human mitochondria have a robust mismatch-repair activity, which is distinct from nuclear MMR. Key nuclear MMR factors were not detected in mitochondria, and similar mismatch-binding activity was observed in mitochondrial extracts from cells lacking MSH2, suggesting distinctive pathways for nuclear and mitochondrial MMR. We identified the repair factor YB-1 as a key candidate for a mitochondrial mismatch-binding protein. This protein localizes to mitochondria in human cells, and contributes significantly to the mismatch-binding and mismatch-repair activity detected in HeLa mitochondrial extracts, which are significantly decreased when the intracellular levels of YB-1 are diminished. Moreover, YB-1 depletion in cells increases mitochondrial DNA mutagenesis. Our results show that human mitochondria contain a functional MMR repair pathway in which YB-1 participates, likely in the mismatch binding and recognition steps. PMID:19272840

Replication protein A (RPA), the major eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein, is essential for replication, repair and recombination. High-affinity ssDNA-binding by RPA depends on two DNA binding domains in the large subunit of RPA. Mutation of the evolutionarily conserved aromatic residues in these two domains results in a separation-of-function phenotype: aromatic residue mutants support DNA replication but are defective in DNArepair. We used biochemical and single-molecule analyses, and Brownian Dynamics simulations to determine the molecular basis of this phenotype. Our studies demonstrated that RPA binds to ssDNA in at least two modes characterized by different dissociation kinetics. We also showed that the aromatic residues contribute to the formation of the longer-lived state, are required for stable binding to short ssDNA regions and are needed for RPA melting of partially duplex DNA structures. We conclude that stable binding and/or the melting of secondary DNA structures by RPA is required for DNArepair, including RAD51 mediated DNA strand exchange, but is dispensable for DNA replication. It is likely that the binding modes are in equilibrium and reflect dynamics in the RPA–DNA complex. This suggests that dynamic binding of RPA to DNA is necessary for different cellular functions. PMID:27131385

Replication protein A (RPA), the major eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein, is essential for replication, repair and recombination. High-affinity ssDNA-binding by RPA depends on two DNA binding domains in the large subunit of RPA. Mutation of the evolutionarily conserved aromatic residues in these two domains results in a separation-of-function phenotype: aromatic residue mutants support DNA replication but are defective in DNArepair. We used biochemical and single-molecule analyses, and Brownian Dynamics simulations to determine the molecular basis of this phenotype. Our studies demonstrated that RPA binds to ssDNA in at least two modes characterized by different dissociation kinetics. We also showed that the aromatic residues contribute to the formation of the longer-lived state, are required for stable binding to short ssDNA regions and are needed for RPA melting of partially duplex DNA structures. We conclude that stable binding and/or the melting of secondary DNA structures by RPA is required for DNArepair, including RAD51 mediated DNA strand exchange, but is dispensable for DNA replication. It is likely that the binding modes are in equilibrium and reflect dynamics in the RPA-DNA complex. This suggests that dynamic binding of RPA to DNA is necessary for different cellular functions. PMID:27131385

Changes of gene expression profile are one of the most important biological responses in living cells after ionizing radiation (IR) exposure. Although some studies have shown that genes up-regulated by IR may play important roles in DNA damage repair, the relationship between the regulation of gene expression by IR, particularly genes not known for their roles in DSB repair, and its impact on cytogenetic responses has not been systematically studied. In the present study, the expression of 25 genes selected on the basis of their transcriptional changes in response to IR was individually knocked down by transfection with small interfering RNA in human fibroblast cells. The purpose of this study is to identify new roles of these selected genes on regulating DSB repair and cell cycle progression , as measured in the micronuclei formation and chromosome aberration. In response to IR, the formation of MN was significantly increased by suppressed expression of 5 genes: Ku70 in the DSB repair pathway, XPA in the NER pathway, RPA1 in the MMR pathway, and RAD17 and RBBP8 in cell cycle control. Knocked-down expression of 4 genes (MRE11A, RAD51 in the DSB pathway, SESN1, and SUMO1) significantly inhibited cell cycle progression, possibly because of severe impairment of DNA damage repair. Furthermore, loss of XPA, P21, or MLH1 expression resulted in both significantly enhanced cell cycle progression and increased yields of chromosome aberrations, indicating that these gene products modulate both cell cycle control and DNA damage repair. Most of the 11 genes that affected cytogenetic responses are not known to have clear roles influencing DBS repair. Nine of these 11 genes were up-regulated in cells exposed to gamma radiation, suggesting that genes transcriptionally modulated by IR were critical to regulate the biological consequences after IR.

ABSTRACT Viruses of the Enterovirus genus of picornaviruses, including poliovirus, coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), and human rhinovirus, commandeer the functions of host cell proteins to aid in the replication of their small viral genomic RNAs during infection. One of these host proteins is a cellular DNArepair enzyme known as 5′ tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2). TDP2 was previously demonstrated to mediate the cleavage of a unique covalent linkage between a viral protein (VPg) and the 5′ end of picornavirus RNAs. Although VPg is absent from actively translating poliovirus mRNAs, the removal of VPg is not required for the in vitro translation and replication of the RNA. However, TDP2 appears to be excluded from replication and encapsidation sites during peak times of poliovirus infection of HeLa cells, suggesting a role for TDP2 during the viral replication cycle. Using a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line lacking TDP2, we found that TDP2 is differentially required among enteroviruses. Our single-cycle viral growth analysis shows that CVB3 replication has a greater dependency on TDP2 than does poliovirus or human rhinovirus replication. During infection, CVB3 protein accumulation is undetectable (by Western blot analysis) in the absence of TDP2, whereas poliovirus protein accumulation is reduced but still detectable. Using an infectious CVB3 RNA with a reporter, CVB3 RNA could still be replicated in the absence of TDP2 following transfection, albeit at reduced levels. Overall, these results indicate that TDP2 potentiates viral replication during enterovirus infections of cultured cells, making TDP2 a potential target for antiviral development for picornavirus infections. PMID:26715620

The repair of DNA damage produced by /sup 137/Cs gamma irradiation was measured with a preparation from Micrococcus luteus containing DNA damage-specific endonucleases in combination with alkaline elution. The frequency of these endonuclease sensitive sites (ESS) was determined after 54 or 110 Gy of oxic irradiation in normal and xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) fibroblasts from complementation groups A, C, D, and G. Repair was rapid in all cell strains with greater than 50% repair after 1.5 h of repair incubation. At later repair times, 12-17 h, more ESS remained in XP than in normal cells. The frequency of excess ESS in XP cells was approximately 0.04 per 10(9) Da of DNA per Gy which was equivalent to 10% of the initial ESS produced. The removal of ESS was comparable in XP cells with normal radiosensitivity and XP3BR cells which have been reported to be moderately radiosensitive.

Background The integrity of DNA molecules is fundamental for maintaining life. The DNArepair proteins protect organisms against genetic damage, by removal of DNA lesions or helping to tolerate them. DNArepair genes are best known from the gamma-proteobacterium Escherichia coli, which is the most understood bacterial model. However, genome sequencing raises questions regarding uniformity and ubiquity of these DNArepair genes and pathways, reinforcing the need for identifying genes and proteins, which may respond to DNA damage in other bacteria. Results In this study, we employed a bioinformatic approach, to analyse and describe the open reading frames potentially related to DNArepair from the genome of the alpha-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus. This was performed by comparison with known DNArepair related genes found in public databases. As expected, although C. crescentus and E. coli bacteria belong to separate phylogenetic groups, many of their DNArepair genes are very similar. However, some important DNArepair genes are absent in the C. crescentus genome and other interesting functionally related gene duplications are present, which do not occur in E. coli. These include DNA ligases, exonuclease III (xthA), endonuclease III (nth), O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (ada gene), photolyase-like genes, and uracil-DNA-glycosylases. On the other hand, the genes imuA and imuB, which are involved in DNA damage induced mutagenesis, have recently been described in C. crescentus, but are absent in E. coli. Particularly interesting are the potential atypical phylogeny of one of the photolyase genes in alpha-proteobacteria, indicating an origin by horizontal transfer, and the duplication of the Ada orthologs, which have diverse structural configurations, including one that is still unique for C. crescentus. Conclusion The absence and the presence of certain genes are discussed and predictions are made considering the particular aspects of the C. crescentus

DNA can adopt a variety of secondary structures that deviate from the canonical Watson-Crick B-DNA form. More than 10 types of non-canonical or non-B DNA secondary structures have been characterized, and the sequences that have the capacity to adopt such structures are very abundant in the human genome. Non-B DNA structures have been implicated in many important biological processes and can serve as sources of genetic instability, implicating them in disease and evolution. Non-B DNA conformations interact with a wide variety of proteins involved in replication, transcription, DNArepair, and chromatin architectural regulation. In this review, we will focus on the interactions of DNArepair proteins with non-B DNA and their roles in genetic instability, as the proteins and DNA involved in such interactions may represent plausible targets for selective therapeutic intervention. PMID:23219604

Products of DNA damage, such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4 PPs), are continually formed in genomes after exposure to UV radiation. When these DNA damages remain unrepaired in essential DNA sites for prolonged periods, DNA replication and transcription are hampered or mutation is induced, which may cause cell death, cellular senescence, and carcinogenesis of the skin. To protect against such UV-induced DNA damage, living organisms nicely retain "DNArepair systems", which can efficiently repair "harmful" DNA damage through precise mechanisms by the integrated functions of many proteins. In humans, the failure of DNArepair systems causes a variety of disorders. Dermatological conditions such as hereditary photodermatoses, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Cockayne syndrome (CS) are caused by congenital functional defects in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system or the translesion synthesis (TLS) system. In this review, we describe the historical progress, recent findings, and future prospects of studies of human diseases associated with DNA-repair defects. PMID:26493104

Background/Aims—Diminished folate status appears to promote colonic carcinogenesis by, as of yet, undefined mechanisms. Impaired DNArepair plays a significant role in the evolution of many colon cancers. Since folate is essential for the de novo synthesis of nucleotides and since folate depletion has previously been associated with excessive DNA strand breaks, it was hypothesised that folate depletion may impair DNArepair. Studies were therefore performed to examine whether folate depletion affects the two major categories of DNArepair. Methods—Study 1: eight weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed on diets containing either 0 or 8 mg folate/kg diet with 1% succinylsulphathiazole for four weeks. After viable colonocytes had been harvested, DNA excision repair was evaluated by a single cell gel electrophoresis assay. Study 2: eighteen animals were fed on similar diets for five weeks. Also in study 2, 18 additional rats were fed on the same defined diet without succinylsulphathiazole for 15 weeks. Weekly injections with the procarcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (20 mg base/kg), were administered to the latter group of animals. Five microsatellite loci from different chromosomes were investigated for instability in hepatic and colonic DNA. Results—In study 1, a significantly retarded rate of DNA excision repair was observed in the folate deficient colonocytes compared with controls (p<0.05). In study 2, there was no evidence of instability at the five microsatellite loci associated with either short or long term folate depletion. Conclusions—Folate deficiency impairs DNA excision repair in rat colonic mucosa; a similar degree of deficiency, even when administered in conjunction with a colonic carcinogen, did not produce evidence of a widespread defect in mismatch repair. Keywords: folate; colon cancer; DNArepair; single cell gel electrophoresis; microsatellite instability; rat PMID:9771411

DNA adducts play a central role in chemical carcinogenesis. The analysis of formation and repair of smoking-related DNA adducts remains particularly challenging as both smokers and nonsmokers exposed to smoke are repetitively under attack from complex mixtures of carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and N -nitrosamines. The bulky DNA adducts, which usually have complex structure, are particularly important because of their biological relevance. Several known cellular DNArepair pathways have been known to operate in human cells on specific types of bulky DNA adducts, for example, nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, and direct reversal involving O 6more » -alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase or AlkB homologs. Understanding the mechanisms of adduct formation and repair processes is critical for the assessment of cancer risk resulting from exposure to cigarette smoke, and ultimately for developing strategies of cancer prevention. This paper highlights the recent progress made in the areas concerning formation and repair of bulky DNA adducts in the context of tobacco carcinogen-associated genotoxic and carcinogenic effects.« less

DNA adducts play a central role in chemical carcinogenesis. The analysis of formation and repair of smoking-related DNA adducts remains particularly challenging as both smokers and nonsmokers exposed to smoke are repetitively under attack from complex mixtures of carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and N-nitrosamines. The bulky DNA adducts, which usually have complex structure, are particularly important because of their biological relevance. Several known cellular DNArepair pathways have been known to operate in human cells on specific types of bulky DNA adducts, for example, nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, and direct reversal involving O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase or AlkB homologs. Understanding the mechanisms of adduct formation and repair processes is critical for the assessment of cancer risk resulting from exposure to cigarette smoke, and ultimately for developing strategies of cancer prevention. This paper highlights the recent progress made in the areas concerning formation and repair of bulky DNA adducts in the context of tobacco carcinogen-associated genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. PMID:21234336

Our objectives are to determine the molecular mechanism of the incision step of excision repair of ultraviolet (UV) light damaged DNA in eukaryotic organisms, using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system, as well as studying the human homologs of yeast excision repair and postreplication repair proteins. In addition to its single-stranded DNA-dependent A TPase and DNA helicase activities, we have found that RAD3 protein also possesses DNA-RNA helicase activity, and that like RAD3, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe RAD3 homolog, rhp3{sup +}, is an essential gene. We have overexpressed the human RAD3 homolog, ERCC2, in yeast to facilitate its purification. The RAD10 protein was purified to homogeneity and shown to bind DNA. ERCC3y, the yeast homolog of the human ERCC-3/XP-B gene, has been sequenced and shown to be essential for viability. The Drosophila and human homologs of RAD6, required for postreplication repair and UV induced mutagenesis, were shown to complement the rad6 {Delta} mutation of yeast. Since defective DNArepair and enhanced neoplasia characterize several human genetic diseases, and repair proteins are highly conserved between yeast and man, a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DNA repir in yeast should provide a better understanding of the causes of carcinogenesis.

The nucleotide excision repair pathway contributes to genetic stability by removing a wide range of DNA damage through an error-free reaction. When the lesion is located, the altered strand is incised on both sides of the lesion and a damaged oligonucleotide excised. A repair patch is then synthesized and the repaired strand is ligated. It is assumed that only DNA polymerases delta and/or epsilon participate to the repairDNA synthesis step. Using UV and cisplatin-modified DNA templates, we measured in vitro that extracts from cells overexpressing the error-prone DNA polymerase beta exhibited a five- to sixfold increase of the ultimate DNA synthesis activity compared with control extracts and demonstrated the specific involvement of Pol beta in this step. By using a 28 nt gapped, double-stranded DNA substrate mimicking the product of the incision step, we showed that Pol beta is able to catalyze strand displacement downstream of the gap. We discuss these data within the scope of a hypothesis previously presented proposing that excess error-prone Pol beta in cancer cells could perturb the well-defined specific functions of DNA polymerases during error-free DNA transactions. PMID:10973926

Summary DNA Mismatch Repair (MMR) increases replication fidelity by eliminating mispaired bases resulting from replication errors. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae mispairs are primarily detected by the Msh2-Msh6 complex and corrected following subsequent recruitment of the Mlh1-Pms1 complex. Here, we visualized functional fluorescent versions of Msh2-Msh6 and Mlh1-Pms1 in living cells. Msh2-Msh6 formed foci in S-phase that colocalized with replication factories; this localized pool accounted for 10–15% of MMR in wild-type cells but was essential for MMR in the absence of the exonuclease Exo1. Mlh1-Pms1 also formed foci that, while requiring Msh2-Msh6 for their formation, rarely colocalized with Msh2-Msh6. Mlh1-Pms1 foci increased when the number of mispaired bases was increased; in contrast, Msh2-Msh6 foci were unaffected. These results suggest that (I) mispair recognition can occur via either a replication factory-targeted or a second distinct pool of Msh2-Msh6, and (II) superstoichiometric Mlh1-Pms1 assembly triggered by mispair-bound Msh2-Msh6 defines sites of active MMR. PMID:22118461

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) with complex ends poses a special challenge, as additional processing is required before DNA ligation. For example, protein–DNA adducts must be removed to allow repair by either nonhomologous end joining or homology-directed repair. Here, we investigated the processing of topoisomerase II (Top2)–DNA adducts induced by treatment with the chemotherapeutic agent etoposide. Through biochemical analysis in Xenopus laevis egg extracts, we establish that the MRN (Mre11, Rad50, and Nbs1) complex, CtIP, and BRCA1 are required for both the removal of Top2–DNA adducts and the subsequent resection of Top2-adducted DSB ends. Moreover, the interaction between CtIP and BRCA1, although dispensable for resection of endonuclease-generated DSB ends, is required for resection of Top2-adducted DSBs, as well as for cellular resistance to etoposide during genomic DNA replication. PMID:26880199

Oxidative stress is a very frequent source of DNA damage. Many cellular DNA polymerases (Pols) can incorporate ribonucleotides (rNMPs) during DNA synthesis. However, whether oxidative stress-triggered DNArepair synthesis contributes to genomic rNMPs incorporation is so far not fully understood. Human specialized Pols β and λ are the important enzymes involved in the oxidative stress tolerance, acting both in base excision repair and in translesion synthesis past the very frequent oxidative lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxo-G). We found that Pol β, to a greater extent than Pol λ can incorporate rNMPs opposite normal bases or 8-oxo-G, and with a different fidelity. Further, the incorporation of rNMPs opposite 8-oxo-G delays repair by DNA glycosylases. Studies in Pol β- and λ-deficient cell extracts suggest that Pol β levels can greatly affect rNMP incorporation opposite oxidative DNA lesions. PMID:26917111

Histone modifications establish the chromatin states that coordinate the DNA damage response. In this study, we show that SETD2, the enzyme that trimethylates histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36me3), is required for ATM activation upon DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Moreover, we find that SETD2 is necessary for homologous recombination repair of DSBs by promoting the formation of RAD51 presynaptic filaments. In agreement, SETD2-mutant clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells displayed impaired DNA damage signaling. However, despite the persistence of DNA lesions, SETD2-deficient cells failed to activate p53, a master guardian of the genome rarely mutated in ccRCC and showed decreased cell survival after DNA damage. We propose that this novel SETD2-dependent role provides a chromatin bookmarking instrument that facilitates signaling and repair of DSBs. In ccRCC, loss of SETD2 may afford an alternative mechanism for the inactivation of the p53-mediated checkpoint without the need for additional genetic mutations in TP53. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02482.001 PMID:24843002

Interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are among the most cytotoxic DNA lesions to cells because they prevent the two DNA strands from separating, thereby precluding replication and transcription. Even though chemotherapeutic cross-linking agents are well established in clinical use, and numerous repair proteins have been implicated in the initial events of mammalian ICL repair, the precise mechanistic details of these events remain to be elucidated. This review will summarize our current understanding of how ICL repair is initiated with an emphasis on the context (replicating, transcribed or quiescent DNA) in which the ICL is recognized, and how the chemical and physical properties of ICLs influence repair. Although most studies have focused on replication-dependent repair because of the relation to highly replicative tumor cells, replication-independent ICL repair is likely to be important in the circumvention of cross-link cytotoxicity in non-dividing, terminally differentiated cells that may be challenged with exogenous or endogenous sources of ICLs. Consequently, the ICL repair pathway that should be considered ‘dominant’ appears to depend on the cell type and the DNA context in which the ICL is encountered. The ability to define and inhibit distinct pathways of ICL repair in different cell cycle phases may help in developing methods that increase cytotoxicity to cancer cells while reducing side-effects in non-dividing normal cells. This may also lead to a better understanding of pathways that protect against malignancy and aging. PMID:20658650

The capacity to repair different types of DNA damage varies among individuals, making them more or less susceptible to the detrimental health consequences of damage exposures. Current methods for measuring DNArepair capacity (DRC) are relatively labor intensive, often indirect, and usually limited to a single repair pathway. Here, we describe a fluorescence-based multiplex flow-cytometric host cell reactivation assay (FM-HCR) that measures the ability of human cells to repair plasmid reporters, each bearing a different type of DNA damage or different doses of the same type of DNA damage. FM-HCR simultaneously measures repair capacity in any four of the following pathways: nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, base excision repair, nonhomologous end joining, homologous recombination, and methylguanine methyltransferase. We show that FM-HCR can measure interindividual DRC differences in a panel of 24 cell lines derived from genetically diverse, apparently healthy individuals, and we show that FM-HCR may be used to identify inhibitors or enhancers of DRC. We further develop a next-generation sequencing-based HCR assay (HCR-Seq) that detects rare transcriptional mutagenesis events due to lesion bypass by RNA polymerase, providing an added dimension to DRC measurements. FM-HCR and HCR-Seq provide powerful tools for exploring relationships among global DRC, disease susceptibility, and optimal treatment. PMID:24757057

The capacity to repair different types of DNA damage varies among individuals, making them more or less susceptible to the detrimental health consequences of damage exposures. Current methods for measuring DNArepair capacity (DRC) are relatively labor intensive, often indirect, and usually limited to a single repair pathway. Here, we describe a fluorescence-based multiplex flow-cytometric host cell reactivation assay (FM-HCR) that measures the ability of human cells to repair plasmid reporters, each bearing a different type of DNA damage or different doses of the same type of DNA damage. FM-HCR simultaneously measures repair capacity in any four of the following pathways: nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, base excision repair, nonhomologous end joining, homologous recombination, and methylguanine methyltransferase. We show that FM-HCR can measure interindividual DRC differences in a panel of 24 cell lines derived from genetically diverse, apparently healthy individuals, and we show that FM-HCR may be used to identify inhibitors or enhancers of DRC. We further develop a next-generation sequencing-based HCR assay (HCR-Seq) that detects rare transcriptional mutagenesis events due to lesion bypass by RNA polymerase, providing an added dimension to DRC measurements. FM-HCR and HCR-Seq provide powerful tools for exploring relationships among global DRC, disease susceptibility, and optimal treatment. PMID:24757057

We have tested human fetal fibroblasts for development associated changes in DNArepair by utilizing nucleoid sedimentation as an assay for excision repair. Among skin fibroblasts the rate of excision repair was significantly higher in non-fetal cells than in fibroblasts derived from an 8 week fetus; this was evident by a delay in both the relaxation and the restoration of DNA supercoiling in nucleoids after irradiation. Skin fibroblasts derived at 12 week gestation were more repair proficient than those derived at 8 week gestation. However, they exhibited a somewhat lower rate of repair than non-fetal cells. The same fetal and non-fetal cells were also tested for induction of the protease plasminogen activator (PA) after u.v. irradiation. Enhancement of PA was higher in skin fibroblasts derived at 8 week than in those derived at 12 week gestation and was absent in non-fetal skin fibroblasts. These results are consistent with our previous findings that in human cells u.v. light-induced PA synthesis is correlated with reduced DNArepair capacity. Excision repair and PA inducibility were found to depend on tissue of origin in addition to gestational stage, as shown for skin and lung fibroblasts from the same 12 week fetus. Lung compared to skin fibroblasts exhibited lower repair rates and produced higher levels of PA after irradiation. The sedimentation velocity of nucleoids, prepared from unirradiated fibroblasts, in neutral sucrose gradients with or without ethidium bromide, indicated the presence of DNA strand breaks in fetal cells. It is proposed that reduced DNArepair in fetal cells may result from alterations in DNA supercoiling, and that persistent DNA strand breaks enhance transcription of PA gene(s).

DNA double stranded breaks (DSBs) are the most cytoxic DNA lesion as the inability to properly repair them can lead to genomic instability and tumorigenesis. The prominent DSB repair pathway in humans is non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). In the simplest sense, NHEJ mediates the direct re-ligation of the broken DNA molecule. However, NHEJ is a complex and versatile process that can repair DSBs with a variety of damages and ends via the utilization of a significant number of proteins. In this review we will describe the important factors and mechanisms modulating NHEJ with emphasis given to the versatility of this repair process and the DNA-PK complex. PMID:24680878

A genetic link between defects in DNArepair and neurological abnormalities has been well established through studies of inherited disorders such as ataxia telangiectasia and xeroderma pigmentosum. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the major types of DNA damage, the molecular pathways that function in their repair, and the connection between defective DNA-repair responses and specific neurological disease. Particular attention is given to describing the nature of the repair defect and its relationship to the manifestation of the associated neurological dysfunction. Finally, the review touches upon the role of oxidative stress, a leading precursor to DNA damage, in the development of certain neurodegenerative pathologies, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. PMID:18319069

Purpose: Increased expression of survivin has been identified as a negative prognostic marker in a variety of human cancers. We have previously shown that survivin is a radiation-resistance factor and that the therapeutic effect of survivin knock-down might result from an impaired DNArepair capacity. In this study, we aimed to elucidate an interrelationship between survivin's cellular localization and DNA double-strand break repair. Methods and Materials: Survivin's cellular distribution and nuclear complex formation were assayed by Western blotting of subcellular fractions, by immunofluorescence staining, and co-immunoprecipitation in SW480 colorectal cancer cells. DNArepair capacity was analyzed by kinetics of gamma-H2AX foci formation, and by DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) assays in the presence of survivin-specific or nonspecific control siRNA. Results: Following irradiation, we observed a rapid nuclear accumulation of survivin and subsequent phosphorylation of the protein in the nucleus. Co-immunoprecipitation analyses from nuclear extracts revealed an interaction among survivin, Ku70, gamma-H2AX, MDC1, and DNA-PKcs that was confirmed by immunofluorescence co-localization in nuclear foci. Survivin knock down by siRNA resulted in an impaired DNA double strand break repair, as demonstrated by an increased detection of gamma-H2AX foci/nucleus at 60 min and a higher amount of residual gamma-H2AX foci at 24 hr postirradiation. Furthermore, we detected in survivin-depleted cells a hampered S2056 autophosphorylation of DNA-PKcs and a significantly decreased DNA-PKcs kinase activity. Conclusion: These data indicate that nuclear survivin is linked to DNA double-strand break repair by interaction with members of the DNA double-strand breaks repair machinery, thus regulating DNA-PKcs activity.

UV exposure induces skin cancer, in part by inducing immune suppression. RepairingDNA damage, neutralizing the activity of cis-urocanic acid (cis-UCA), and reversing oxidative stress abrogates UV-induced immune suppression and skin cancer induction, suggesting the DNA, UCA and lipid photo-oxidation serves as UV photoreceptors. What is not clear is whether signaling through each of these different photoreceptors activates independent pathways to induce biological effects or whether there is a common checkpoint where these pathways converge. Here we show that agents known to reverse photocarcinogenesis and photoimmune suppression, such as platelet activating factor (PAF) and serotonin (5-HT) receptor antagonists regulate DNArepair. Pyrimidine dimer repair was accelerated in UV-irradiated mice injected with PAF and 5-HT receptor antagonists. Nucleotide excision repair, as measured by unscheduled DNA synthesis, was accelerated by PAF and 5-HT receptor antagonists. Injecting PAF and 5-HT receptor antagonists into UV-irradiated Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA) deficient mice, which lack the enzymes responsible for nucleotide excision repair, did not accelerate photoproduct repair. Similarly, UV-induced formation of 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) was reduced by PAF and 5-HT receptor antagonists. We conclude that PAF and 5-HT receptor antagonists accelerate DNArepair caused by UV radiation, which prevents immune suppression and interferes with photocarcinogenesis. PMID:19829299

To allow for sufficient time to repairDNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs), eukaryotic cells activate the DNA damage checkpoint. In budding yeast, Rad53 (mammalian Chk2) phosphorylation parallels the persistence of the unrepaired DSB and is extinguished when repair is complete in a process termed recovery or when the cells adapt to the DNA damage checkpoint. A strain containing a slowly repaired DSB does not require the histone chaperone Asf1 to resume cell cycle progression after DSB repair. When a second, rapidly repairable DSB is added to this strain, Asf1 becomes required for recovery. Recovery from two repairable DSBs also depends on the histone acetyltransferase Rtt109 and the cullin subunit Rtt101, both of which modify histone H3 that is associated with Asf1. We show that dissociation of histone H3 from Asf1 is required for efficient recovery and that Asf1 is required for complete dephosphorylation of Rad53 when the upstream DNA damage checkpoint signaling is turned off. Our data suggest that the requirements for recovery from the DNA damage checkpoint become more stringent with increased levels of damage and that Asf1 plays a histone chaperone-independent role in facilitating complete Rad53 dephosphorylation following repair. PMID:27222517

Free radicals generate an array of DNA lesions affecting all parts of the molecule. The damage to deoxyribose receives less attention than base damage, even though the former accounts for ∼20% of the total. Oxidative deoxyribose fragments (e.g., 3'-phosphoglycolate esters) are removed by the Ape1 AP endonuclease and other enzymes in mammalian cells to enable DNArepair synthesis. Oxidized abasic sites are initially incised by Ape1, thus recruiting these lesions into base excision repair (BER) pathways. Lesions such as 2-deoxypentos-4-ulose can be removed by conventional (single-nucleotide) BER, which proceeds through a covalent Schiff base intermediate with DNA polymerase β (Polβ) that is resolved by hydrolysis. In contrast, the lesion 2-deoxyribonolactone (dL) must be processed by multinucleotide ("long-patch") BER: attempted repair via the single-nucleotide pathway leads to a dead-end, covalent complex with Polβ cross- linked to the DNA by an amide bond. We recently detected these stable DNA-protein crosslinks (DPC) between Polβ and dL in intact cells. The features of the DPC formation in vivo are exactly in keeping with the mechanistic properties seen in vitro: Polβ-DPC are formed by oxidative agents in line with their ability to form the dL lesion; they are not formed by non-oxidative agents; DPC formation absolutely requires the active-site lysine-72 that attacks the 5'-deoxyribose; and DPC formation depends on Ape1 to incise the dL lesion first. The Polβ-DPC are rapidly processed in vivo, the signal disappearing with a half-life of 15-30min in both mouse and human cells. This removal is blocked by inhibiting the proteasome, which leads to the accumulation of ubiquitin associated with the Polβ-DPC. While other proteins (e.g., topoisomerases) also form DPC under these conditions, 60-70% of the trapped ubiquitin depends on Polβ. The mechanism of ubiquitin targeting to Polβ-DPC, the subsequent processing of the expected 5'-peptidyl-dL, and the

In postmitotic mammalian cells, protein p53R2 substitutes for protein R2 as a subunit of ribonucleotide reductase. In human patients with mutations in RRM2B, the gene for p53R2, mitochondrial (mt) DNA synthesis is defective, and skeletal muscle presents severe mtDNA depletion. Skin fibroblasts isolated from a patient with a lethal homozygous missense mutation of p53R2 grow normally in culture with an unchanged complement of mtDNA. During active growth, the four dNTP pools do not differ in size from normal controls, whereas during quiescence, the dCTP and dGTP pools decrease to 50% of the control. We investigate the ability of these mutated fibroblasts to synthesize mtDNA and repairDNA after exposure to UV irradiation. Ethidium bromide depleted both mutant and normal cells of mtDNA. On withdrawal of the drug, mtDNA recovered equally well in cycling mutant and control cells, whereas during quiescence, the mutant fibroblasts remained deficient. Addition of deoxynucleosides to the medium increased intracellular dNTP pools and normalized mtDNA synthesis. Quiescent mutant fibroblasts were also deficient in the repair of UV-induced DNA damage, as indicated by delayed recovery of dsDNA analyzed by fluorometric analysis of DNA unwinding and the more extensive and prolonged phosphorylation of histone H2AX after irradiation. Supplementation by deoxynucleosides improved DNArepair. Our results show that in nontransformed cells only during quiescence, protein p53R2 is required for maintenance of mtDNA and for optimal DNArepair after UV damage. PMID:22847445

DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) is the key regulator of the non-homologous end joining pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. We have previously reported that DNA-PKcs is required for maintaining chromosomal stability and mitosis progression. Our further investigations reveal that deficiency in DNA-PKcs activity caused a delay in mitotic entry due to dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1), the key driving force for cell cycle progression through G2/M transition. Timely activation of Cdk1 requires polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), which affects modulators of Cdk1. We found that DNA-PKcs physically interacts with Plk1 and could facilitate Plk1 activation both in vitro and in vivo. Further, DNA-PKcs-deficient cells are highly sensitive to Plk1 inhibitor BI2536, suggesting that the coordination between DNA-PKcs and Plk1 is not only crucial to ensure normal cell cycle progression through G2/M phases but also required for cellular resistance to mitotic stress. On the basis of the current study, it is predictable that combined inhibition of DNA-PKcs and Plk1 can be employed in cancer therapy strategy for synthetic lethality. PMID:25925375

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-np) have been used in medicine and commercially due to their anti-microbial properties. Therapeutic potentials of these nanoparticles are being explored extensively despite the lack of information on their mechanism of action at molecular and cellular level. Here, we have investigated the DNA damage response and repair following Ag-np treatment in mammalian cells. Studies have shown that Ag-np exerts genotoxicity through double-strand breaks (DSBs). DNA-PKcs, the catalytic subunit of DNA dependent protein kinase, is an important caretaker of the genome which is known to be the main player mediating Non-homologous End-Joining (NHEJ) repair pathway. We hypothesize that DNA-PKcs is responsible for the repair of Ag-np induced DNA damage. In vitro studies have been carried out to investigate both cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induced by Ag-np in normal human cells, DNA-PKcs proficient, and deficient mammalian cells. Chemical inhibition of DNA-PKcs activity with NU7026, an ATP-competitive inhibitor of DNA-PKcs, has been performed to further validate the role of DNA-PKcs in this model. Our results suggest that Ag-np induced more prominent dose-dependent decrease in cell viability in DNA-PKcs deficient or inhibited cells. The deficiency or inhibition of DNA-PKcs renders the cells with higher susceptibility to DNA damage and genome instability which in turn contributed to greater cell cycle arrest/cell death. These findings support the fact that DNA-PKcs is involved in the repair of Ag-np induced genotoxicity and NHEJ repair pathway and DNA-PKcs particularly is activated to safeguard the genome upon Ag-np exposure. PMID:22707954

The processes by which certain classes of toxic compounds or their metabolites may react with DNA to alter the genetic information contained in subsequent generations of cells or organisms are a major component of hazard associated with exposure to chemicals in the environment. Many classes of chemicals may form DNA adducts and there may or may not be a defined mechanism to remove a particular adduct from DNA independent of replication. Many compounds and metabolites that bind DNA also readily bind existing proteins; some classes of toxins and DNA adducts have the capacity to inactive a repair enzyme and divert the repair process competitively. This paper formulates an intracellular dynamic model for one aspect of the action of toxins that form DNA adducts, recognizing a capacity for removal of those adducts by a repair enzyme combined with reaction of the toxin and/or the DNA adduct to inactive the repair enzyme. This particular model illustrates the possible saturation of repair enzyme capacity by the toxin dosage and shows that bistable behavior can occur, with the potential to induce abrupt shifts away from steady-state equilibria. The model suggests that bistable behavior, dose and variation between individuals or tissues may combine under certain conditions to amplify the biological effect of dose observed as DNA adduction and its consequences as mutation. A model recognizing stochastic phenomena also indicates that variation in within-cell toxin concentration may promote jumps between stable equilibria.

Background The International Lung Cancer Consortium was established in 2004. To clarify the role of DNArepair genes in lung cancer susceptibility, we conducted a pooled analysis of genetic variants in DNArepair pathways, whose associations have been investigated by at least 3 individual studies. Methods Data from 14 studies were pooled for 18 sequence variants in 12 DNArepair genes, including APEX1, OGG1, XRCC1, XRCC2, XRCC3, ERCC1, XPD, XPF, XPG, XPA, MGMT, and TP53. The total number of subjects included in the analysis for each variant ranged from 2,073 to 13,955 subjects. Results Four of the variants were found to be weakly associated with lung cancer risk with borderline significance: these were XRCC3 T241M [heterozygote odds ratio (OR), 0.89; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.79–0.99 and homozygote OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71–1.00] based on 3,467 cases and 5,021 controls from 8 studies, XPD K751Q (heterozygote OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.89–1.10 and homozygote OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02–1.39) based on 6,463 cases and 6,603 controls from 9 studies, and TP53 R72P (heterozygote OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.00–1.29 and homozygote OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02–1.42) based on 3,610 cases and 5,293 controls from 6 studies. OGG1 S326C homozygote was suggested to be associated with lung cancer risk in Caucasians (homozygote OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.01–1.79) based on 2,569 cases and 4,178 controls from 4 studies but not in Asians. The other 14 variants did not exhibit main effects on lung cancer risk. Discussion In addition to data pooling, future priorities of International Lung Cancer Consortium include coordinated genotyping and multistage validation for ongoing genome-wide association studies. PMID:18990748

Persistent hepadnavirus infection leads to oxidative stress and DNA damage through increased production of toxic oxygen radicals. In addition, hepadnaviral DNA integrations into chromosomal DNA can promote the process of hepatocarcinogenesis (M. Feitelson, Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 5:275-301, 1992). While previous studies have identified preferred integration sites in hepadnaviral genomes and suggested integration mechanisms (M. A. Buendia, Adv. Cancer Res. 59:167-226, 1992; C. E. Rogler, Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 168:103-141, 1991; C. Shih et al., J. Virol. 61:3491-3498, 1987), very little is known about the effects of agents which damage chromosomal DNA on the frequency of hepadnaviral DNA integrations. Using a recently developed subcloning approach to detect stable new integrations of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) (S. S. Gong, A. D. Jensen, and C. E. Rogler, J. Virol. 70:2000-2007, 1996), we tested the effects of increased chromosomal DNA damage induced by H2O2, or of the disturbance in DNArepair due to the inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), on the frequency of DHBV DNA integrations. Subclones of LMH-D21-6 cells, which replicate DHBV, were grown in the presence of various H2O2 concentrations and exhibited up to a threefold increase in viral DNA integration frequency in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, inhibition of PARP, which plays a role in cellular responses to DNA breakage, by 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) resulted in a sevenfold increase in the total number of new DHBV DNA integrations into host chromosomal DNA. Removal of either H2O2 or 3-AB from the culture medium in a subsequent cycle of subcloning was accompanied by a reversion back towards the original lower frequency of stable DHBV DNA integrations for LMH-D21-6 cells. These data support the hypothesis that DNA damage sites can serve as sites for hepadnaviral DNA integration, and that increasing the number of DNA damage sites dramatically increases viral integration frequency. PMID

Platinum-based chemotherapy is the cornerstone of ovarian cancer treatment, and its efficacy is dependent on the generation of DNA damage, with subsequent induction of apoptosis. Inappropriate or aberrant activation of the DNA damage response network is associated with resistance to platinum, and defects in DNArepair pathways play critical roles in determining patient response to chemotherapy. In ovarian cancer, tumor cell defects in homologous recombination – a repair pathway activated in response to double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) – are most commonly associated with platinum-sensitive disease. However, despite initial sensitivity, the emergence of resistance is frequent. Here, we review strategies for directly interfering with DNArepair pathways, with particular focus on direct inhibition of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), another DSB repair pathway. DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) is a core component of NHEJ and it has shown considerable promise as a chemosensitization target in numerous cancer types, including ovarian cancer where it functions to promote platinum-induced survival signaling, via AKT activation. The development of pharmacological inhibitors of DNA-PKcs is on-going, and clinic-ready agents offer real hope to patients with chemoresistant disease. PMID:26579492

The system previously used to study recombination of nonreplicating UV-irradiated phage lambda DNA was adapted to study UV repair. Irradiated phages infected undamaged homoimmune lysogens. Pyrimidine dimer content (by treatment with Micrococcus luteus UV endonuclease and alkaline sucrose sedimentation) and a biological activity endpoint (infectivity in transfection of uvrB recA recB spheroplasts) were followed. Unless room light was excluded during DNA extraction procedures, photoreactivation (Phr function) was significant. In uvr ..delta..phr bacteria, repair, by both assays, was very low but not zero. Even when light was totally excluded, Phr function appeared to play a role in Uvr-mediated excision repair: both dimer removal and restoration of infectivity were two to five times as efficient in uvr/sup +/ phr/sup +/ bacteria as in uvr/sup +/ ..delta..phr bacteria. Similarly, UV-irradiated phages plated with higher efficiencies on phr/sup +/ than ..delta..phr bacteria even under totally dark conditions. In uvr phr/sup +/ repressed infections, removal of dimers from nonreplicating DNA did not increase infectivity as much as in uvr2= infections, suggesting a requirement for repair of nondimer photoproducts by the uvrABC system.

Triplex forming oligos (TFOs) that target psoralen photoadducts to specific DNA sequences have generated interest as a potential agent in gene therapy. TFOs also offer an opportunity to study the mechanism of DNArepair in detail. In an effort to understand the mechanism of DNArepair at a specific DNA sequence in real-time, we have designed a plasmid containing a psoralen reaction site adjacent to a TFO binding site corresponding to a sequence within the human interstitial collagenase gene. Two 2-aminopurine residues incorporated into the purine-rich strand of the TFO binding site and located within six nucleotides of the psoralen reaction site serve as molecular probes for excision repair events involving the psoralen photoadducts on that DNA strand. In duplex DNA, the 2-aminopurine fluorescence is quenched. However, upon thermal or formamide-induced denaturation of duplex DNA to single stranded DNA, the 2-aminopurine fluorescence increases by eight fold. These results suggest that monitoring 2-aminopurine fluorescence from plasmids damaged by psoralen TFOs may be a method for measuring excision of single-stranded damaged DNA from the plasmid in cells. A fluorescence-based molecular probe to the plasmid may significantly simplify the real-time observation of DNArepair in both populations of cells as well as single cells.

Eukaryotic cells possess several DNArepair mechanisms, including homologous recombination and the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) system. There are two known NHEJ systems. The major mechanism depends on the catalytic unit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) and DNA ligase IV, and an alternative mechanism (B-NHEJ) depends on poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). These systems are upregulated by genotoxic agents. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is an immunoregulatory cytokine that is secreted by immune cells upon contact with certain genotoxic compounds and is known to regulate several genes encoding components of DNArepair systems in human monocytes. We have investigated the possible effects of IL-4 on the DNArepair process within murine and human cells exposed to selected genotoxic compounds. In a series of experiments, including the comet assay, cell surface annexin V staining, analysis of histone H2AX phosphorylation, and a DNA end-joining assay, we observed that IL-4 decreased DNA damage in murine fibroblasts and human glioblastoma cells exposed to genotoxic agents and increased DNA ligation activity in the nuclei of these cells in a process that depended on PARP. These observations suggest that IL-4 is capable of upregulating the alternative NHEJ DNArepair mechanism in murine and human cells. PMID:24724620

Characterising and predicting the effects of ionising radiation on cells remains challenging, with the lack of robust models of the underlying mechanism of radiation responses providing a significant limitation to the development of personalised radiotherapy. In this paper we present a mechanistic model of cellular response to radiation that incorporates the kinetics of different DNArepair processes, the spatial distribution of double strand breaks and the resulting probability and severity of misrepair. This model enables predictions to be made of a range of key biological endpoints (DNArepair kinetics, chromosome aberration and mutation formation, survival) across a range of cell types based on a set of 11 mechanistic fitting parameters that are common across all cells. Applying this model to cellular survival showed its capacity to stratify the radiosensitivity of cells based on aspects of their phenotype and experimental conditions such as cell cycle phase and plating delay (correlation between modelled and observed Mean Inactivation Doses R(2) > 0.9). By explicitly incorporating underlying mechanistic factors, this model can integrate knowledge from a wide range of biological studies to provide robust predictions and may act as a foundation for future calculations of individualised radiosensitivity. PMID:27624453

The genetic basis underlying the majority of hereditary pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) is unknown. Since DNArepair genes are widely implicated in gastrointestinal malignancies, including PC, we hypothesized that there are novel DNArepair PC susceptibility genes. As germline DNArepair gene mutations may lead to PC subtypes with selective therapeutic responses, we also hypothesized that there is an overall survival (OS) difference in mutation carriers versus non-carriers. We therefore interrogated the germline exomes of 109 high-risk PC cases for rare protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in 513 putative DNArepair genes. We identified PTVs in 41 novel genes among 36 kindred. Additional genetic evidence for causality was obtained for 17 genes, with FAN1, NEK1 and RHNO1 emerging as the strongest candidates. An OS difference was observed for carriers versus non-carriers of PTVs with early stage (≤IIB) disease. This adverse survival trend in carriers with early stage disease was also observed in an independent series of 130 PC cases. We identified candidate DNArepair PC susceptibility genes and suggest that carriers of a germline PTV in a DNArepair gene with early stage disease have worse survival. PMID:26546047

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a genetic disease characterized by hypersensitivity to ultra-violet and a very high risk of skin cancer induction on exposed body sites. This syndrome is caused by germinal mutations on nucleotide excision repair genes. No cure is available for these patients except a complete protection from all types of UV radiations. We reviewed the various techniques to complement or to correct the genetic defect in XP cells. We, particularly, developed the correction of XP-C skin cells using the fidelity of the homologous recombination pathway during repair of double-strand break (DSB) in the presence of XPC wild type sequences. We used engineered nucleases (meganuclease or TALE nuclease) to induce a DSB located at 90 bp of the mutation to be corrected. Expression of specific TALE nuclease in the presence of a repair matrix containing a long stretch of homologous wild type XPC sequences allowed us a successful gene correction of the original TG deletion found in numerous North African XP patients. Some engineered nucleases are sensitive to epigenetic modifications, such as cytosine methylation. In case of methylated sequences to be corrected, modified nucleases or demethylation of the whole genome should be envisaged. Overall, we showed that specifically-designed TALE-nuclease allowed us to correct a 2 bp deletion in the XPC gene leading to patient's cells proficient for DNArepair and showing normal UV-sensitivity. The corrected gene is still in the same position in the human genome and under the regulation of its physiological promoter. This result is a first step toward gene therapy in XP patients. PMID:26255934

Although there are few reports regarding α-phellandrene (α-PA), a natural compound from Schinus molle L. essential oil, there is no report to show that α-PA induced DNA damage and affected DNArepair associated protein expression. Herein, we investigated the effects of α-PA on DNA damage and repair associated protein expression in murine leukemia cells. Flow cytometric assay was used to measure the effects of α-PA on total cell viability and the results indicated that α-PA induced cell death. Comet assay and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride staining were used for measuring DNA damage and condensation, respectively, and the results indicated that α-PA induced DNA damage and condensation in a concentration-dependent manner. DNA gel electrophoresis was used to examine the DNA damage and the results showed that α-PA induced DNA damage in WEHI-3 cells. Western blotting assay was used to measure the changes of DNA damage and repair associated protein expression and the results indicated that α-PA increased p-p53, p-H2A.X, 14-3-3-σ, and MDC1 protein expression but inhibited the protein of p53, MGMT, DNA-PK, and BRCA-1. PMID:24861204

AlkB proteins are evolutionary conserved Fe(II)/2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, which remove alkyl and highly promutagenic etheno(ɛ)-DNA adducts, but their substrate specificity has not been fully determined. We developed a novel assay for the repair of ɛ-adducts by AlkB enzymes using oligodeoxynucleotides with a single lesion and specific DNA glycosylases and AP-endonuclease for identification of the repair products. We compared the repair of three ɛ-adducts, 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine (ɛA), 3,N(4)-ethenocytosine (ɛC) and 1,N(2)-ethenoguanine (1,N(2)-ɛG) by nine bacterial and two human AlkBs, representing four different structural groups defined on the basis of conserved amino acids in the nucleotide recognition lid, engaged in the enzyme binding to the substrate. Two bacterial AlkB proteins, MT-2B (from Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and SC-2B (Streptomyces coelicolor) did not repair these lesions in either double-stranded (ds) or single-stranded (ss) DNA. Three proteins, RE-2A (Rhizobium etli), SA-2B (Streptomyces avermitilis), and XC-2B (Xanthomonas campestris) efficiently removed all three lesions from the DNA substrates. Interestingly, XC-2B and RE-2A are the first AlkB proteins shown to be specialized for ɛ-adducts, since they do not repair methylated bases. Three other proteins, EcAlkB (Escherichia coli), SA-1A, and XC-1B removed ɛA and ɛC from ds and ssDNA but were inactive toward 1,N(2)-ɛG. SC-1A repaired only ɛA with the preference for dsDNA. The human enzyme ALKBH2 repaired all three ɛ-adducts in dsDNA, while only ɛA and ɛC in ssDNA and repair was less efficient in ssDNA. ALKBH3 repaired only ɛC in ssDNA. Altogether, we have shown for the first time that some AlkB proteins, namely ALKBH2, RE-2A, SA-2B and XC-2B can repair 1,N(2)-ɛG and that ALKBH3 removes only ɛC from ssDNA. Our results also suggest that the nucleotide recognition lid is not the sole determinant of the substrate specificity of AlkB proteins. PMID:25797601

Fibroblasts obtained from biopsy material and lymphocytes of patients with homocystinuria were investigated for repair activity according to the following criteria: rejoined DNA breaks, induced by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide and ..gamma..-radiation; indices of reactivation and induced mutagenesis of smallpox vaccine virus treated with these mutagens. In lymphocytes a defect of DNArepair was observed according to all criteria investigated. During passage of fibroblast cultures, inhibition of repair activity of cells was preserved according to ..gamma..-type. Increase in the number of spontaneous and ..gamma..-induced mutations of virus was noted according to degree of passage of fibroblasts.

The core nonhomologous end-joining DNArepair pathway is composed of seven factors: Ku70, Ku80, DNA-PKcs, Artemis, XRCC4 (X4), DNA ligase IV (L4), and Cernunnos/XLF (Cernunnos). Although Cernunnos and X4 are structurally related and participate in the same complex together with L4, they have distinct functions during DNArepair. L4 relies on X4 but not on Cernunnos for its stability, and L4 is required for optimal interaction of Cernunnos with X4. We demonstrate here, using in vitro-generated Cernunnos mutants and a series of functional assays in vivo, that the C-terminal region of Cernunnos is dispensable for its activity during DNArepair. PMID:19103754

Included among the quantitative high throughput screens (qHTS) conducted in support of the U.S. Tox21 program are those being evaluated for the detection of genotoxic compounds. One such screen is based on the induction of increased cytotoxicity in 7 isogenic chicken DT40 cell lines deficient in DNArepair pathways compared to the parental DNArepair-proficient cell line. To characterize the utility of this approach for detecting genotoxic compounds and identifying the type(s) of DNA damage induced, we evaluated nine of 42 compounds identified as positive for differential cytotoxicity in qHTS (actinomycin D, adriamycin, alachlor, benzotrichloride, diglycidyl resorcinol ether, lovastatin, melphalan, trans-1,4-dichloro-2-butene, tris(2,3-epoxypropyl)isocyanurate) and one non-cytotoxic genotoxic compound (2-aminothiamine) for (1) clastogenicity in mutant and wild-type cells; (2) the comparative induction of γH2AX positive foci by melphalan; (3) the extent to which a 72-hr exposure duration increased assay sensitivity or specificity; (4) the use of 10 additional DT40 DNArepair-deficient cell lines to better analyze the type(s) of DNA damage induced; and (5) the involvement of reactive oxygen species in the induction of DNA damage. All compounds but lovastatin and 2-aminothiamine were more clastogenic in at least one DNArepair-deficient cell line than the wild-type cells. The differential responses across the various DNArepair-deficient cell lines provided information on the type(s) of DNA damage induced. The results demonstrate the utility of this DT40 screen for detecting genotoxic compounds, for characterizing the nature of the DNA damage, and potentially for analyzing mechanisms of mutagenesis. PMID:21538559

Faithful transmission of genetic information through generations ensures genomic stability and integrity. However, genetic alterations occur every now and then during the course of genome duplication. In order to repair these genetic defects and lesions, nature has devised several repair pathways which function promptly to prevent the cell from accumulating permanent mutations. These repair mechanisms seem to be significantly impacted by posttranslational modifications of proteins like phosphorylation and ubiquitination. Protein ubiquitination is emerging as a critical regulatory mechanism of DNA damage response. Non-proteolytic, proteasome-independent functions of ubiquitin involving monoubiquitination and polyubiquitination of DNArepair proteins contribute significantly to the signaling of DNArepair pathways. In this paper, we will particularly highlight the work on ubiquitin-mediated signaling in the repair processes involving the Fanconi anemia pathway, translesional synthesis, nucleotide excision repair, and repair of double-strand breaks. We will also discuss the role of ubiquitin ligases in regulating checkpoint mechanisms, the role of deubiquitinating enzymes, and the growing possibilities of therapeutic intervention in this ubiquitin-conjugation system.

Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are multi-factorial and multi-symptomatic psychiatric disorders, each affecting 0.5%–1% of the population worldwide. Both are characterized by impairments in cognitive functions, emotions and behaviour, and they undermine basic human processes of perception and judgment. Despite decades of extensive research, the aetiologies of schizophrenia and ASD are still poorly understood and remain a significant challenge to clinicians and scientists alike. Adding to this unsatisfactory situation, patients with schizophrenia or ASD often develop a variety of peripheral and systemic disturbances, one prominent example of which is cancer, which shows a direct (but sometimes inverse) comorbidity in people affected with schizophrenia and ASD. Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of cells, the molecular origin of which derives from mutations of a cell’s DNA sequence. To counteract such mutations and repair damaged DNA, cells are equipped with intricate DNArepair pathways. Oxidative stress, oxidative DNA damage, and deficient repair of oxidative DNA lesions repair have been proposed to contribute to the development of schizophrenia and ASD. In this article, we summarize the current evidence of cancer comorbidity in these brain disorders and discuss the putative roles of oxidative stress, DNA damage and DNArepair in the aetiopathology of schizophrenia and ASD. PMID:27258260

Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are multi-factorial and multi-symptomatic psychiatric disorders, each affecting 0.5%-1% of the population worldwide. Both are characterized by impairments in cognitive functions, emotions and behaviour, and they undermine basic human processes of perception and judgment. Despite decades of extensive research, the aetiologies of schizophrenia and ASD are still poorly understood and remain a significant challenge to clinicians and scientists alike. Adding to this unsatisfactory situation, patients with schizophrenia or ASD often develop a variety of peripheral and systemic disturbances, one prominent example of which is cancer, which shows a direct (but sometimes inverse) comorbidity in people affected with schizophrenia and ASD. Cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of cells, the molecular origin of which derives from mutations of a cell's DNA sequence. To counteract such mutations and repair damaged DNA, cells are equipped with intricate DNArepair pathways. Oxidative stress, oxidative DNA damage, and deficient repair of oxidative DNA lesions repair have been proposed to contribute to the development of schizophrenia and ASD. In this article, we summarize the current evidence of cancer comorbidity in these brain disorders and discuss the putative roles of oxidative stress, DNA damage and DNArepair in the aetiopathology of schizophrenia and ASD. PMID:27258260

Concentration, motility and morphology are parameters commonly used to determine the fertilization potential of an ejaculate. These parameters give a general view on the quality of sperm but do not provide information about one of the most important components of the reproductive outcome: DNA. Either single or double DNA strand breaks can set the difference between fertile and infertile males. Sperm DNA fragmentation can be caused by intrinsic factors like abortive apoptosis, deficiencies in recombination, protamine imbalances or oxidative stress. Damage can also occur due to extrinsic factors such as storage temperatures, extenders, handling conditions, time after ejaculation, infections and reaction to medicines or post-testicular oxidative stress, among others. Two singular characteristics differentiate sperm from somatic cells: Protamination and absence of DNArepair. DNArepair in sperm is terminated as transcription and translation stops post-spermiogenesis, so these cells have no mechanism to repair the damage occurred during their transit through the epididymis and post-ejaculation. Oocytes and early embryos have been shown to repair sperm DNA damage, so the effect of sperm DNA fragmentation depends on the combined effects of sperm chromatin damage and the capacity of the oocyte to repair it. In this contribution we review some of these issues. PMID:23203048

Cancer is a multistep process characterized by various and different genetic lesions which cause the transformation of normal cells into tumor cells. To preserve the genomic integrity, eukaryotic cells need a complex DNA damage/repair response network of signaling pathways, involving many proteins, able to induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, or DNArepair. Chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy are the most commonly used therapeutic approaches to manage cancer and act mainly through the induction of DNA damage. Impairment in the DNArepair proteins, which physiologically protect cells from persistent DNA injury, can affect the efficacy of cancer therapies. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that microRNAs take actively part in the regulation of the DNA damage/repair network. MicroRNAs are endogenous short noncoding molecules able to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Due to their activity, microRNAs play a role in many fundamental physiological and pathological processes. In this review we report and discuss the role of microRNAs in the DNA damage/repair and cancer. PMID:24616890

The primary dynamics in photomachinery such as charge separation in photosynthesis and bond isomerization in sensory photoreceptor are typically ultrafast to accelerate functional dynamics and avoid energy dissipation. The same is also true for the DNArepair enzyme, photolyase. However, it is not known how the photoinduced step is optimized in photolyase to attain maximum efficiency. Here, we analyse the primary reaction steps of repair of ultraviolet-damaged DNA by photolyase using femtosecond spectroscopy. With systematic mutations of the amino acids involved in binding of the flavin cofactor and the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer substrate, we report our direct deconvolution of the catalytic dynamics with three electron-transfer and two bond-breaking elementary steps and thus the fine tuning of the biological repair function for optimal efficiency. We found that the maximum repair efficiency is not enhanced by the ultrafast photoinduced process but achieved by the synergistic optimization of all steps in the complex repair reaction. PMID:26065359

The primary dynamics in photomachinery such as charge separation in photosynthesis and bond isomerization in sensory photoreceptor are typically ultrafast to accelerate functional dynamics and avoid energy dissipation. The same is also true for the DNArepair enzyme, photolyase. However, it is not known how the photoinduced step is optimized in photolyase to attain maximum efficiency. Here, we analyse the primary reaction steps of repair of ultraviolet-damaged DNA by photolyase using femtosecond spectroscopy. With systematic mutations of the amino acids involved in binding of the flavin cofactor and the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer substrate, we report our direct deconvolution of the catalytic dynamics with three electron-transfer and two bond-breaking elementary steps and thus the fine tuning of the biological repair function for optimal efficiency. We found that the maximum repair efficiency is not enhanced by the ultrafast photoinduced process but achieved by the synergistic optimization of all steps in the complex repair reaction.

Repair replication of DNA has been studied in first instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster with isopycnic centrifugation techniques. Larvae were fed BUdR, FUdR, streptomycin, penicillin, and Fungazone for two to four hours prior to exposure to UV, X-rays, MMS, or EMS. Feeding was continued for four hours in the presence of 3HBUdR and DNA was isolated from whole larvae. Repair replication is stimulated by each of these agents. MMS is about 10 times as potent as EMS in stimulating repair synthesis. A dose of 200 ergs/mm2 largely saturates the level of repair replication observed after UV irradiation. Repair replication rises between 0 and 80,000 R of X-rays before falling off. Semiconservative synthesis is seriously inhibited above a dose of 40,000 R of X-rays. Photorepair has been detected as a reduction in repair synthesis resulting from post-irradiation exposure to photoreactivating light. The same treatment has no detectable effect on X-ray-stimulated repair replication. Repair replication is insensitive to the presence of caffeine or hydroxyurea during the final incubation, although semiconservative synthesis is strongly inhibited by these agents. A mixture of BUdR and 3HTdR can be used to replace 3HBUdR in detecting repair replication. PMID:4371150

Research highlights: {yields} Serine/threonine protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) has been shown to participate in ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)- and ATR (ATM- and Rad3-related)-mediated checkpoint pathways, which plays an important role in the DNA damage response and maintenance of genomic stability. {yields} However, it is not clear exactly how PP5 participates in this process. {yields} Our results indicate that PP5 is more closely related with ATR-mediated pathway than ATM-mediated pathway in DNA damage repair. -- Abstract: Several recent studies have shown that protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) participates in cell cycle arrest after DNA damage, but its roles in DNArepair have not yet been fully characterized. We investigated the roles of PP5 in the repair of ultraviolet (UV)- and neocarzinostatin (NCS)-induced DNA damage. The results of comet assays revealed different repair patterns in UV- and NCS-exposed U2OS-PS cells. PP5 is only essential for Rad3-related (ATR)-mediated DNArepair. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of 53BP1 and BRCA1, important mediators of DNA damage repair, and substrates of ATR and ATM decreased in U2OS-PS cells exposed to UV radiation. In contrast, the cell cycle arrest proteins p53, CHK1, and CHK2 were normally phosphorylated in U2OS and U2OS-PS cells exposed to UV radiation or treated with NCS. In view of these results, we suggest that PP5 plays a crucial role in ATR-mediated repair of UV-induced DNA damage.

We aimed to evaluate the toxicity of long-term exposure to different cadmium (Cd) doses in rats and expression profiles of DNArepair-related genes. The model rats were exposed to different concentrations of CdCl2 for 3 months, and 5 DNArepair-related genes - hMSH2, MLH1, XRCC1, hOGG1, ERCC1 - were cloned in different tissues, including the liver, kidney, heart, and lung. Accumulated amounts of Cd were detected in the tissues. Gene and protein detections were conducted via fluorescence quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Methylated sequences of the 5 DNArepair-related gene promoters were used to investigate whether the low expression levels of the genes were related to methylation of the promoter. In the Cd-exposed group, 3 DNArepair genes (i.e., XRCC1, hOGG1, and ERCC1) significantly decreased in the rat liver, kidney, heart, and lung according to the β-actin internal standard (P < 0.01). Western blotting indicated the same trend for the different tissues. Each of the DNArepair genes had special characteristics; for example, hOGG1 gene expression decreased by 75% in the kidney, and XRCC1 gene expression decreased by 5% in the liver and heart when compared to the control group (P < 0.01). A negative correlation between the DNArepair gene expression levels and the cumulative levels of Cd was also suggested by malignancy pathology. The expression levels of 3 DNArepair genes (i.e., ERCC1, XRCC1, and hOGG1) played an important role in the rat response to Cd exposure but not DNA methylated protection. PMID:25729986

Despite consistent research into the molecular principles of the DNA damage repair pathway for almost two decades, it has only recently been found that RNA metabolism is very tightly related to this pathway, and the two ancient biochemical mechanisms act in alliance to maintain cellular genomic integrity. The close links between these pathways are well exemplified by examining the base excision repair pathway, which is now well known for dual roles of many of its members in DNArepair and RNA surveillance, including APE1, SMUG1, and PARP1. With additional links between these pathways steadily emerging, this review aims to provide a summary of the emerging roles for DNArepair proteins in the post-transcriptional regulation of RNAs. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:604-619. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1353 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. PMID:27126972

DNA photolyase has been the topic of extensive studies due to its important role of repairing photodamaged DNA, and its unique feature of using light as an energy source. A crucial step in the repair by DNA photolyase is the forward electron transfer from its cofactor (FADH(-) ) to the damaged DNA, and the detailed mechanism of this process has been controversial. In the present study, we examine the forward electron transfer in DNA photolyase by carrying out high-level ab initio calculations in combination with a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach, and by measuring fluorescence emission spectra at low temperature. On the basis of these computational and experimental results, we demonstrate that multiple decay pathways exist in DNA photolyase depending on the wavelength at excitation and the subsequent transition. This implies that the forward electron transfer in DNA photolyase occurs not only by superexchange mechanism but also by sequential electron transfer. PMID:27362906

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Colloquium on the roles of homologous recombination in DNA replication are summarized. Current findings in experimental systems ranging from bacteriophages to mammalian cell lines substantiate the idea that homologous recombination is a system supporting DNA replication when either the template DNA is damaged or the replication machinery malfunctions. There are several lines of supporting evidence: (i) DNA replication aggravates preexisting DNA damage, which then blocks subsequent replication; (ii) replication forks abandoned by malfunctioning replisomes become prone to breakage; (iii) mutants with malfunctioning replisomes or with elevated levels of DNA damage depend on homologous recombination; and (iv) homologous recombination primes DNA replication in vivo and can restore replication fork structures in vitro. The mechanisms of recombinational repair in bacteriophage T4, Escherichia coli, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are compared. In vitro properties of the eukaryotic recombinases suggest a bigger role for single-strand annealing in the eukaryotic recombinational repair. PMID:11459990

The genomic location of a DNA lesions can dramatically influence the efficiency of repair. For example, in asynchronous human cells there is preferential repair of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) in the transcribed strands of active genes. The efficiencies of repair in the non-transcribed strands of the genes examined thus far are essentially equivalent to that in the genome overall, but significantly slower than that in the transcribed strands. The authors' current interest is how these DNArepair efficiencies might be influenced by the phase of the cell cycle. They developed a method to assay repair of specific DNA sequences in any phase of the cell cycle, using a synchronization procedure that does not perturb the cell cycle. Ethanol fixed cells were stained with chromomycin A3 and sorted on the basis of DNA content. Fractions were collected corresponding to G1; early, middle and late S; and G2/M. They are currently examining the initial frequency of CPDs and the efficiencies of repair in each strand of the dihydrofolate reductase gene in cultured human cells. These experiments are important to an understanding of how the heterogeneity in DNA damage processing in particular sequences and as a function of the cell cycle may be involved in biological endpoints such as mutagenesis and malignant transformation.

Removal of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers from the individual strands of the rDNA locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied. Yeast rDNA, that is transcribed by RNA polymerase I(RNA pol I), is repaired efficiently, slightly strand-specific and independently of RAD26, which has been implicated in transcription-coupled repair of the RNA pol II transcribed RPB2 gene. No repair of rDNA is observed in rad1,2,3 and 14 mutants, demonstrating that dimer removal from this highly repetitive DNA is accomplished by nucleotide excision repair (NER). In rad7 and rad16 mutants, which are specifically deficient in repair of non-transcribed DNA, there is a clear preferential repair of the transcribed strand of rDNA, indicating that strand-specific and therefore probably transcription-coupled repair of RNA pol I transcribed genes does exist in yeast. Unexpectedly, the transcribed but not the non-transcribed strand of rDNA can be repaired in rad4 mutants, which seem otherwise completely NER-deficient. PMID:8604332

Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis with important economic and public health consequences and is caused by pathogenic leptospires. The genus Leptospira belongs to the order Spirochaetales and comprises saprophytic (L. biflexa), pathogenic (L. interrogans) and host-dependent (L. borgpetersenii) members. Here, we present an in silico search for DNArepair pathways in Leptospira spp. The relevance of such DNArepair pathways was assessed through the identification of mRNA levels of some genes during infection in animal model and after exposition to spleen cells. The search was performed by comparison of available Leptospira spp. genomes in public databases with known DNArepair-related genes. Leptospires exhibit some distinct and unexpected characteristics, for instance the existence of a redundant mechanism for repairing a chemically diverse spectrum of alkylated nucleobases, a new mutS-like gene and a new shorter version of uvrD. Leptospira spp. shares some characteristics from Gram-positive, as the presence of PcrA, two RecQ paralogs and two SSB proteins; the latter is considered a feature shared by naturally competent bacteria. We did not find a significant reduction in the number of DNArepair-related genes in both pathogenic and host-dependent species. Pathogenic leptospires were enriched for genes dedicated to base excision repair and non-homologous end joining. Their evolutionary history reveals a remarkable importance of lateral gene transfer events for the evolution of the genus. Up-regulation of specific DNArepair genes, including components of SOS regulon, during infection in animal model validates the critical role of DNArepair mechanisms for the complex interplay between host/pathogen. PMID:26527082

We report a new cellular interaction between the infecting transposable phage Mu and the host Escherichia coli replication machinery during repair of Mu insertions, which involves filling-in of short target gaps on either side of the insertion, concomitant with degradation of extraneous long flanking DNA (FD) linked to Mu. Using the FD as a marker to follow repair, we find that after transposition into the chromosome, the unrepaired Mu is indefinitely stable until the replication fork arrives at the insertion site, whereupon the FD is rapidly degraded. When the fork runs into a Mu target gap, a double strand end (DSE) will result; we demonstrate fork-dependent DSEs proximal to Mu. These findings suggest that Pol III stalled at the transpososome is exploited for co-ordinatedrepair of both target gaps flanking Mu without replicating the intervening 37 kb of Mu, disassembling the stable transpososome in the process. This work is relevant to all transposable elements, including retroviral elements like HIV-1, which share with Mu the common problem of repair of their flanking target gaps. PMID:25983038

Genetic information is under constant attack from endogenous and exogenous sources, and the use of model organisms has provided important frameworks to understand how genome stability is maintained and how various DNA lesions are repaired. The advance of high throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) provides new inroads for investigating mechanisms needed for genome maintenance. These emerging studies, which aim to link genetic toxicology and mechanistic analyses of DNArepair processes in vivo, rely on defining mutational signatures caused by faulty replication, endogenous DNA damaging metabolites, or exogenously applied genotoxins; the analysis of their nature, their frequency and distribution. In contrast to classical studies, where DNArepair deficiency is assessed by reduced cellular survival, the localization of DNArepair factors and their interdependence as well as limited analysis of single locus reporter assays, NGS based approaches reveal the direct, quantal imprint of mutagenesis genome-wide, at the DNA sequence level. As we will show, such investigations require the analysis of DNA derived from single genotoxin treated cells, or DNA from cell populations regularly passaged through single cell bottlenecks when naturally occurring mutation accumulation is investigated. We will argue that the life cycle of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, its genetic malleability combined with whole genome sequencing provides an exciting model system to conduct such analysis. PMID:25131498

The contribution of BRCA1 (breast cancer 1) to the repair of broken DNA is well established, but its real role at the molecular level is less well understood. By developing a new high-resolution, single-molecule technique, we have now shown that BRCA1 accelerates the processing of DNA breaks that subsequently engage in homologous recombination. PMID:27308460

The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is complex and involves interactions between environmental and genetic factors, with oxidative stress playing an important role inducing damage in biomolecules, including DNA. Therefore, genetic variability in the components of DNArepair systems may influence the ability of the cell to cope with oxidative stress and in this way contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. However, few reports have been published on this subject so far. We demonstrated that the c.977C>G polymorphism (rs1052133) in the hOGG1 gene and the c.972G>C polymorphism (rs3219489) in the MUTYH gene, the products of which play important roles in the repair of oxidatively damaged DNA, might be associated with the risk of AMD. Oxidative stress may promote misincorporation of uracil into DNA, where it is targeted by several DNA glycosylases. We observed that the g.4235T>C (rs2337395) and c.–32A>G (rs3087404) polymorphisms in two genes encoding such glycosylases, UNG and SMUG1, respectively, could be associated with the occurrence of AMD. Polymorphisms in some other DNArepair genes, including XPD (ERCC2), XRCC1 and ERCC6 (CSB) have also been reported to be associated with AMD. These data confirm the importance of the cellular reaction to DNA damage, and this may be influenced by variability in DNArepair genes, in AMD pathogenesis. PMID:23202958

The highly mutagenic A:oxoG (8-oxoguanine) base pair in DNA most frequently arises by aberrant replication of the primary oxidative lesion C:oxoG. This lesion is particularly insidious because neither of its constituent nucleobases faithfully transmit genetic information from the original C:G base pair. Repair of A:oxoG is initiated by adenine DNA glycosylase, which catalyzes hydrolytic cleavage of the aberrant A nucleobase from the DNA backbone. These enzymes, MutY in bacteria and MUTYH in humans, scrupulously avoid processing of C:oxoG because cleavage of the C residue in C:oxoG would actually promote mutagenic conversion to A:oxoG. Here we analyze the structural basis for rejection of C:oxoG by MutY, using a synthetic crystallography approach to capture the enzyme in the process of inspecting the C:oxoG anti-substrate, with which it ordinarily binds only fleetingly. We find that MutY uses two distinct strategies to avoid presentation of C to the enzyme active site. Firstly, MutY possesses an exo-site that serves as a decoy for C, and secondly, repulsive forces with a key active site residue prevent stable insertion of C into the nucleobase recognition pocket within the enzyme active site. PMID:25995449

The highly mutagenic A:oxoG (8-oxoguanine) base pair in DNA most frequently arises by aberrant replication of the primary oxidative lesion C:oxoG. This lesion is particularly insidious because neither of its constituent nucleobases faithfully transmit genetic information from the original C:G base pair. Repair of A:oxoG is initiated by adenine DNA glycosylase, which catalyzes hydrolytic cleavage of the aberrant A nucleobase from the DNA backbone. These enzymes, MutY in bacteria and MUTYH in humans, scrupulously avoid processing of C:oxoG because cleavage of the C residue in C:oxoG would actually promote mutagenic conversion to A:oxoG. Here we analyze the structural basis for rejection of C:oxoG by MutY, using a synthetic crystallography approach to capture the enzyme in the process of inspecting the C:oxoG anti-substrate, with which it ordinarily binds only fleetingly. We find that MutY uses two distinct strategies to avoid presentation of C to the enzyme active site. Firstly, MutY possesses an exo-site that serves as a decoy for C, and secondly, repulsive forces with a key active site residue prevent stable insertion of C into the nucleobase recognition pocket within the enzyme active site. PMID:25995449

Mouse embryos were labeled in vivo at 10 1/2-12 1/2 days of gestation with (/sup 3/H)-thymidine and subjected to DNA damage using x-ray, methylmethanesulfonate, or methylnitrosourea. DNA damage and its repair were assessed in specific cell preparations from embryos isolated at intervals thereafter using the highly sensitive method of nucleoid sedimentation, which evaluates the supercoiled state of the DNA. Repair of x-ray damage was demonstrated using trypsin-dispersed cells from whole embryos and from homogenized embryonic liver to show the validity of the analytical approach. The effects of the highly teratogenic methylnitrosourea and the much less teratogenic methylmethanesulfonate were compared in the targeted limb buds using equitoxic doses of the two alkylating agents. DNA supercoiling was fully restored after 24 hr in limb bud cells damaged with methylmethanesulfonate, while as much as 48 hr were required for full repair of methylnitrosourea damage. These results demonstrated the feasibility of studying DNArepair in embryonic tissues after damage in vivo and suggest that the potency of methylnitrosourea as a teratogen may be correlated with a prolonged period required for complete repair of DNA.

Killer toxins from Kluyveromyces lactis (zymocin) and Pichia acaciae (PaT) were found to disable translation in target cells by virtue of anticodon nuclease (ACNase) activities on tRNA(Glu) and tRNA(Gln), respectively. Surprisingly, however, ACNase exposure does not only impair translation, but also affects genome integrity and concomitantly DNA damage occurs. Previously, it was shown that homologous recombination protects cells from ACNase toxicity. Here, we have analyzed whether other DNArepair pathways are functional in conferring ACNase resistance as well. In addition to HR, base excision repair (BER) and postreplication repair (PRR) promote clear resistance to either, PaT and zymocin. Comparative toxin sensitivity analysis of BER mutants revealed that its ACNase protective function is due to the endonucleases acting on apurinic (AP) sites, whereas none of the known DNA glycosylases is involved. Because PaT and zymocin require the presence of the ELP3/TRM9-dependent wobble uridine modification 5-methoxy-carbonyl-methyl (mcm(5)) for tRNA cleavage, we analyzed toxin response in DNArepair mutants additionally lacking such tRNA modifications. ACNase resistance caused by elp3 or trm9 mutations was found to rescue hypersensitivity of DNArepair defects, consistent with DNA damage to occur as a consequence of tRNA cleavage. The obtained genetic evidence promises to reveal new aspects into the mechanism linking translational fidelity and genome surveillance. PMID:21188417

Cells have evolved complex biochemical pathways for DNA interstrand crosslink (ICL) removal. Despite the chemotherapeutic importance of ICL repair, there have been few attempts to identify which mechanistic DNArepair inhibitor actually inhibits ICL repair. To identify such compounds, a new and robust ICL repair assay was developed using a novel plasmid that contains synthetic ICLs between a CMV promoter region that drives transcription and a luciferase reporter gene, and an SV40 origin of replication and the large T antigen (LgT) gene that enables self-replication in mammalian cells. In a screen against compounds that are classified as inhibitors of DNArepair or synthesis, the reporter generation was exquisitely sensitive to ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitors such as gemcitabine and clofarabine, but not to inhibitors of PARP, ATR, ATM, Chk1, and others. The effect was observed also by siRNA downregulation of RNR. Moreover, the reporter generation was also particularly sensitive to 3-AP, a non-nucleoside RNR inhibitor, but not significantly sensitive to DNA replication stressors, suggesting that the involvement of RNR in ICL repair is independent of incorporation of a nucleotide RNR inhibitor into DNA to induce replication stress. The reporter generation from a modified version of the plasmid that lacks the LgT-SV40ori motif was also adversely affected by RNR inhibitors, further indicating a role for RNR in ICL repair that is independent of DNA replication. Intriguingly, unhooking of cisplatin-ICL from nuclear DNA was significantly inhibited by low doses of gemcitabine, suggesting an unidentified functional role for RNR in the process of ICL unhooking. The assay approach could identify other molecules essential for ICLR in quantitative and flexible manner. PMID:26462050

In this study, a novel approach to the analysis of DNArepair in Escherichia coli was employed which allowed the first direct determination of the mechanisms by which endogenous DNArepair enzymes encounter target sites in vivo. An in vivo plasmid DNArepair analysis was employed to discriminate between two possible mechanisms of target site location: a processive DNA scanning mechanism or a distributive random diffusion mechanism. The results demonstrate that photolyase acts by a distributive mechanism within E. coli. In contrast, UvrABC-initiated excision repair occurs by a limited processive DNA scanning mechanism. A majority of the dimer sites on a given plasmid molecule were repaired prior to the dissociation of the UvrABC complex. Furthermore, plasmid DNArepair catalyzed by the UvrABC complex occurs without a detectable accumulation of nicked plasmid intermediates despite the fact that the UvrABC complex generates dual incisions in the DNA at the site of a pyrimidine dimer. Therefore, the binding or assembly of the UvrABC complex on DNA at the site of a pyrimidine dimer represents the rate-limiting step in the overall process of UvrABC-initiated excision repair in vivo.

A key modality of non-surgical cancer management is DNA damaging therapy that causes DNA double-strand breaks that are preferentially toxic to rapidly dividing cancer cells. Double-strand break repair capacity is recognized as an important mechanism in drug resistance and is therefore a potential target for adjuvant chemotherapy. Additionally, spontaneous and environmentally induced DSBs are known to promote cancer, making DSB evaluation important as a tool in epidemiology, clinical evaluation and in the development of novel pharmaceuticals. Currently available assays to detect double-strand breaks are limited in throughput and specificity and offer minimal information concerning the kinetics of repair. Here, we present the CometChip, a 96-well platform that enables assessment of double-strand break levels and repair capacity of multiple cell types and conditions in parallel and integrates with standard high-throughput screening and analysis technologies. We demonstrate the ability to detect multiple genetic deficiencies in double-strand break repair and evaluate a set of clinically relevant chemical inhibitors of one of the major double-strand break repair pathways, non-homologous end-joining. While other high-throughput repair assays measure residual damage or indirect markers of damage, the CometChip detects physical double-strand breaks, providing direct measurement of damage induction and repair capacity, which may be useful in developing and implementing treatment strategies with reduced side effects. PMID:23422001

A key modality of non-surgical cancer management is DNA damaging therapy that causes DNA double-strand breaks that are preferentially toxic to rapidly dividing cancer cells. Double-strand break repair capacity is recognized as an important mechanism in drug resistance and is therefore a potential target for adjuvant chemotherapy. Additionally, spontaneous and environmentally induced DSBs are known to promote cancer, making DSB evaluation important as a tool in epidemiology, clinical evaluation and in the development of novel pharmaceuticals. Currently available assays to detect double-strand breaks are limited in throughput and specificity and offer minimal information concerning the kinetics of repair. Here, we present the CometChip, a 96-well platform that enables assessment of double-strand break levels and repair capacity of multiple cell types and conditions in parallel and integrates with standard high-throughput screening and analysis technologies. We demonstrate the ability to detect multiple genetic deficiencies in double-strand break repair and evaluate a set of clinically relevant chemical inhibitors of one of the major double-strand break repair pathways, non-homologous end-joining. While other high-throughput repair assays measure residual damage or indirect markers of damage, the CometChip detects physical double-strand breaks, providing direct measurement of damage induction and repair capacity, which may be useful in developing and implementing treatment strategies with reduced side effects. PMID:23422001

The evolution of the ability of living cells to cope with stress is crucial for the maintenance of their genetic integrity. Yet low levels of mutation must remain to allow adaptation to environmental changes. The cellular slime mold D. discoideum is a good system for studying molecular aspects of the repair of lethal and mutagenic damage to DNA by radiation and chemicals. The wild-type strains of this soil microorganism are extremely resistant to DNA damaging agents. In nature the amoeboid cells in their replicative stage feed on soil bacteria and are exposed to numerous DNA-damaging chemicals produced by various soil microorganisms. It is probable that the evolution of repair systems in this organism and perhaps in others is a consequence of the necessity to cope with chemical damage which also confers resistance to radiation.

The evolution of the ability of living cells to cope with stress is crucial for the maintenance of their genetic integrity. Yet low levels of mutation must remain to allow adaptation to environmental changes. The cellular slime mold D. discoideum is a good system for studying molecular aspects of the repair of lethal and mutagenic damage to DNA by radiation and chemicals. The wild-type strains of this soil microorganism are extremely resistant to DNA damaging agents. In nature the amoeboid cells in their replicative stage feed on soil bacteria and are exposed to numerous DNA-damaging chemicals produced by various soil microorganisms. It is probable that the evolution of repair systems in this organism and perhaps in others is a consequence of the necessity to cope with chemical damage which also confers resistance to radiation. PMID:11539974

The small molecule alarmone (p)ppGpp mediates bacterial adaptation to nutrient deprivation by altering the initiation properties of RNA polymerase (RNAP). ppGpp is generated in Escherichia coli by two related enzymes, RelA and SpoT. We show that ppGpp is robustly, but transiently, induced in response to DNA damage and is required for efficient nucleotide excision DNArepair (NER). This explains why relA-spoT-deficient cells are sensitive to diverse genotoxic agents and ultraviolet radiation, whereas ppGpp induction renders them more resistant to such challenges. The mechanism of DNA protection by ppGpp involves promotion of UvrD-mediated RNAP backtracking. By rendering RNAP backtracking-prone, ppGpp couples transcription to DNArepair and prompts transitions between repair and recovery states. PMID:27199428

Human DNA polymerase N (PolN) is an A-family nuclear DNA polymerase whose function is unknown. This study examines the possible role of PolN in DNArepair in human cells treated with PolN-targeted siRNA. HeLa cells with siRNA-mediated knockdown of PolN were more sensitive than control cells to DNA cross-linking agent mitomycin C (MMC), but were not hyper-sensitive to UV irradiation. The MMC hyper-sensitivity of PolN knockdown cells was rescued by the overexpression of DNA polymerase-proficient PolN but not by DNA polymerase-deficient PolN. Furthermore, in vitro experiments showed that purified PolN conducts low efficiency non-mutagenic bypass of a psoralen DNA interstrand cross-link (ICL), whose structure resembles an intermediate in the proposed pathway of ICL repair. These results suggest that PolN might play a role in translesion DNA synthesis during ICL repair in human cells. PMID:19908865

Structure-specific nucleases play crucial roles in many DNArepair pathways. They must be precisely controlled to ensure optimal repair outcomes; however, mechanisms of their regulation are not fully understood. Here, we report a fission yeast protein, Pxd1, that binds to and regulates two structure-specific nucleases: Rad16XPF-Swi10ERCC1 and Dna2-Cdc24. Strikingly, Pxd1 influences the activities of these two nucleases in opposite ways: It activates the 3′ endonuclease activity of Rad16-Swi10 but inhibits the RPA-mediated activation of the 5′ endonuclease activity of Dna2. Pxd1 is required for Rad16-Swi10 to function in single-strand annealing, mating-type switching, and the removal of Top1-DNA adducts. Meanwhile, Pxd1 attenuates DNA end resection mediated by the Rqh1-Dna2 pathway. Disabling the Dna2-inhibitory activity of Pxd1 results in enhanced use of a break-distal repeat sequence in single-strand annealing and a greater loss of genetic information. We propose that Pxd1 promotes proper DNArepair by differentially regulating two structure-specific nucleases. PMID:25203555

Nitrogen mustard (NM), a structural analog of chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard (SM), forms adducts and crosslinks with DNA, RNA and proteins. Here we studied the mechanism of NM-induced skin toxicity in response to double strand breaks (DSBs) resulting in cell cycle arrest to facilitate DNArepair, as a model for developing countermeasures against vesicant-induced skin injuries. NM exposure of mouse epidermal JB6 cells decreased cell growth and caused S-phase arrest. Consistent with these biological outcomes, NM exposure also increased comet tail extent moment and the levels of DNA DSB repair molecules phospho H2A.X Ser139 and p53 Ser15 indicating NM-induced DNA DSBs. Since DNA DSB repair occurs via non homologous end joining pathway (NHEJ) or homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathways, next we studied these two pathways and noted their activation as defined by an increase in phospho- and total DNA-PK levels, and the formation of Rad51 foci, respectively. To further analyze the role of these pathways in the cellular response to NM-induced cytotoxicity, NHEJ and HRR were inhibited by DNA-PK inhibitor NU7026 and Rad51 inhibitor BO2, respectively. Inhibition of NHEJ did not sensitize cells to NM-induced decrease in cell growth and cell cycle arrest. However, inhibition of the HRR pathway caused a significant increase in cell death, and prolonged G2M arrest following NM exposure. Together, our findings, indicating that HRR is the key pathway involved in the repair of NM-induced DNA DSBs, could be useful in developing new therapeutic strategies against vesicant-induced skin injury. PMID:24732344

Nitrogen mustard (NM), a structural analog of chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard (SM), forms adducts and crosslinks with DNA, RNA and proteins. Here we studied the mechanism of NM-induced skin toxicity in response to double strand breaks (DSBs) resulting in cell cycle arrest to facilitate DNArepair, as a model for developing countermeasures against vesicant-induced skin injuries. NM exposure of mouse epidermal JB6 cells decreased cell growth and caused S-phase arrest. Consistent with these biological outcomes, NM exposure also increased comet tail extent moment and the levels of DNA DSB repair molecules phospho H2A.X Ser139 and p53 Ser15 indicating NM-induced DNA DSBs. Since DNA DSB repair occurs via non homologous end joining pathway (NHEJ) or homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathways, next we studied these two pathways and noted their activation as defined by an increase in phospho- and total DNA-PK levels, and the formation of Rad51 foci, respectively. To further analyze the role of these pathways in the cellular response to NM-induced cytotoxicity, NHEJ and HRR were inhibited by DNA-PK inhibitor NU7026 and Rad51 inhibitor BO2, respectively. Inhibition of NHEJ did not sensitize cells to NM-induced decrease in cell growth and cell cycle arrest. However, inhibition of the HRR pathway caused a significant increase in cell death, and prolonged G2M arrest following NM exposure. Together, our findings, indicating that HRR is the key pathway involved in the repair of NM-induced DNA DSBs, could be useful in developing new therapeutic strategies against vesicant-induced skin injury. PMID:24732344

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are highly cytotoxic DNA lesions, whose faulty repair may alter the content and organization of cellular genomes. To counteract this threat, numerous signaling and repair proteins are recruited hierarchically to the chromatin areas surrounding DSBs to facilitate accurate lesion repair and restoration of genome integrity. In vertebrate cells, ubiquitin-dependent modifications of histones adjacent to DSBs by RNF8, RNF168, and other ubiquitin ligases have a key role in promoting the assembly of repair protein complexes, serving as direct recruitment platforms for a range of genome caretaker proteins and their associated factors. These DNA damage-induced chromatin ubiquitylation marks provide an essential component of a histone code for DSB repair that is controlled by multifaceted regulatory circuits, underscoring its importance for genome stability maintenance. In this review, we provide a comprehensive account of how DSB-induced histone ubiquitylation is sensed, decoded and modulated by an elaborate array of repair factors and regulators. We discuss how these mechanisms impact DSB repair pathway choice and functionality for optimal protection of genome integrity, as well as cell and organismal fitness. PMID:27446204

Bacterial pathogens rely on their DNArepair pathways to resist genomic damage inflicted by the host. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are especially threatening to bacterial viability. DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR) requires nucleases that resect DSB ends and a strand exchange protein that facilitates homology search. RecBCD and RecA perform these functions in E. coli and constitute the major pathway of error free DSB repair. Mycobacteria, including the human pathogen M. tuberculosis, elaborate an additional error-prone pathway of DSB repair via nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) catalyzed by Ku and DNA ligase D (LigD). Little is known about the relative contributions of HR and NHEJ to mycobacterial chromosome repair, the factors that dictate pathway choice, or the existence of additional DSB repair pathways. Here we demonstrate that Mycobacterium smegmatis has three DSB repair pathway options: HR, NHEJ, and a novel mechanism of single-strand annealing (SSA). Inactivation of NHEJ or SSA is compensated by elevated HR. We find that mycobacterial RecBCD does not participate in HR or confer resistance to ionizing radiation (IR), but is required for the RecA-independent SSA pathway. In contrast, the mycobacterial helicase-nuclease AdnAB participates in the RecA-dependent HR pathway, and is a major determinant of resistance to IR and oxidative DNA damage. These findings reveal distinctive features of mycobacterial DSB repair, most notably the dedication of the RecBCD and AdnAB helicase-nuclease machines to distinct repair pathways. PMID:21219454

Appropriate repair of DNA lesions and the inhibition of DNArepair activities at telomeres are critical to prevent genomic instability. By fuelling the generation of genetic alterations and by compromising cell viability, genomic instability is a driving force in cancer and aging1, 2. Here we identify MAD2L2 (also known as MAD2B or REV7) through functional genetic screening as a novel factor controlling DNArepair activities at mammalian telomeres. We show that MAD2L2 accumulates at uncapped telomeres and promotes non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)-mediated fusion of deprotected chromosome ends and genomic instability. MAD2L2 depletion causes elongated 3′ telomeric overhangs, implying that MAD2L2 inhibits 5′ end-resection. End-resection blocks NHEJ while committing to homology-directed repair (HDR) and is under control of 53BP1, RIF1 and PTIP3. Consistent with MAD2L2 promoting NHEJ-mediated telomere fusion by inhibiting 5′ end-resection, knockdown of the nucleases CTIP or EXO1 partially restores telomere-driven genomic instability in MAD2L2-depleted cells. Control of DNArepair by MAD2L2 is not limited to telomeres. MAD2L2 also accumulates and inhibits end-resection at irradiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and promotes end-joining of DSBs in multiple settings, including during immunoglobulin class switch recombination (CSR). These activities of MAD2L2 depend on ATM kinase activity, RNF8, RNF168, 53BP1 and RIF1, but not on PTIP, REV1 and REV3, the latter two acting with MAD2L2 in translesion synthesis (TLS)4. Together our data establish MAD2L2 as a critical contributor to the control of DNArepair activity by 53BP1 that promotes NHEJ by inhibiting 5′ end-resection downstream of RIF1. PMID:25799990

DNA is one of the prime molecules, and its stability is of utmost importance for proper functioning and existence of all living systems. Genotoxic chemicals and radiations exert adverse effects on genome stability. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) (mainly UV-B: 280–315 nm) is one of the powerful agents that can alter the normal state of life by inducing a variety of mutagenic and cytotoxic DNA lesions such as cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), 6-4 photoproducts (6-4PPs), and their Dewar valence isomers as well as DNA strand breaks by interfering the genome integrity. To counteract these lesions, organisms have developed a number of highly conserved repair mechanisms such as photoreactivation, base excision repair (BER), nucleotide excision repair (NER), and mismatch repair (MMR). Additionally, double-strand break repair (by homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining), SOS response, cell-cycle checkpoints, and programmed cell death (apoptosis) are also operative in various organisms with the expense of specific gene products. This review deals with UV-induced alterations in DNA and its maintenance by various repair mechanisms. PMID:21209706

DNArepair variants may play a potentially important role in an individual’s susceptibility to developing cancer. Numerous studies have reported the association between genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNArepair genes and different types of hematologic cancers. However, to date, the effects of such SNPs on modulating Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) risk have not yet been investigated. We hypothesized that gene-gene interaction between candidate genes in Direct Reversal, Nucleotide excision repair (NER), Base excision repair (BER) and Double strand break (DSB) pathways may contribute to susceptibility to HL. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a study on 200 HL cases and 220 controls to assess associations between HL risk and 21 functional SNPs in DNArepair genes. We evaluated potential gene-gene interactions and the association of multiple polymorphisms in a chromosome region using a multi-analytic strategy combining logistic regression, multi-factor dimensionality reduction and classification and regression tree approaches. We observed that, in combination, allelic variants in the XPC Ala499Val, NBN Glu185Gln, XRCC3 Thr241Me, XRCC1 Arg194Trp and XRCC1 399Gln polymorphisms modify the risk for developing HL. Moreover, the cumulative genetic risk score revealed a significant trend where the risk for developing HL increases as the number of adverse alleles in BER and DSB genes increase. These findings suggest that DNArepair variants in BER and DSB pathways may play an important role in the development of HL. PMID:21374732

Zygotic repair of paternal DNA is essential during embryo development. In spite of the interest devoted to sperm DNA damage, its combined effect with defect-repairing oocytes has not been analyzed. Modification of the breeding season is a common practice in aquaculture. This practice reduces developmental success and could affect the both factors: sperm DNA integrity and oocyte repair capacity. To evaluate the maternal role, we analyzed the progeny outcome after fertilizing in-season trout oocytes with untreated and with UV-irradiated sperm. We also analyzed the offspring obtained out of season with untreated sperm. The analysis of the number of lesions in 4 sperm nuclear genes revealed an increase of 1.22-11.18 lesions/10 kb in out-of-season sperm, similar to that obtained after sperm UV irradiation (400 µW/cm(2)5 min). Gene expression showed in out-of-season oocytes the overexpression of repair genes (ogg1, ung, lig3, rad1) and downregulation of tp53, indicating an enhanced repairing activity and reduced capacity to arrest development upon damage. The analysis of the progeny in out-of-season embryos revealed a similar profile tolerant to DNA damage, leading to a much lower apoptotic activity at organogenesis, lower hatching rates and increased rate of malformations. The effects were milder in descendants from in-season-irradiated sperm, showing an enhanced repairing activity at epibolia. Results point out the importance of the repairing machinery provided by the oocyte and show how susceptible it is to environmental changes. Transcripts related to DNA damage signalization and repair could be used as markers of oocyte quality. PMID:27071918

DNA suffers from a wide range of damage, both from extracellular agents and via endogenous mechanisms. Damage of DNA can lead to cancer and other diseases. Therefore, it is plausible that sequence variants in DNArepair genes are involved in cancer development. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis, based on the "Venice criteria", showed that out of 241 associations investigated, only three resulted to have a strong grade of cumulative evidence. These associations were: two SNPs rs1799793 and rs13181 in the ERCC2 gene and lung cancer (recessive model) and rs1805794 in the NBN gene and bladder cancer (dominant model). An update of this meta-analysis has been performed in the present paper, and we found partially inconsistent results. Inconsistencies in the literature are thus far not easy to explain. In addition, none of the cancer genome-wide association studies (GWAs) published so far showed highly statistically significant associations for any of the common DNArepair gene variants, in such a way as to place DNArepair genes among the top 10-20 hits identified in GWAs. Though this suggests that it is unlikely that DNArepair gene polymorphisms per se play a major role, a clarification of the discrepancies in the literature is needed. Also, gene/environment and gene/lifestyle interactions for the carcinogenic mechanisms involving DNArepair should be investigated more systematically and with less classification error. Finally, the combined effect of multiple SNPs in several genes in one or more relevant DNArepair pathways could have a greater impact on pathological phenotypes than SNPs in single genes, but this has been investigated only occasionally. PMID:21864546

The ability of cancer cells to recognize damage and initiate DNArepair is an important mechanism for therapeutic resistance. The use of inhibitors of DNA damage repair or signaling pathways appears to provide a unique opportunity for targeting genetic differences between tumor and normal cells. In this review, we firstly describe the main DNA lesions induced by the different treatments and the pathways involved in their repair. Then we review the mechanism of action and applications of an innovative DNArepair inhibitor: Dbait (and its clinical form DT01). Dbait/DT01 consists of 32 bp deoxyribonucleotides forming an intramolecular DNA double helix that mimics DNA lesions. They act as a bait for DNA damage signaling enzymes, the polyadenyl-ribose polymerase (PARP), and the DNA-dependent kinase (DNA-PK), inducing a "false" DNA damage signal and ultimately inhibiting recruitment at the damage site of many proteins involved in double-strand break and single-strand break repair pathways. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the capacity of Dbait/DT01 to improve the efficiency of (i) chemotherapy in colorectal cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma models, (ii) radiofrequency ablative in colorectal cancer liver metastases models, and (iii) radiotherapy in xenografted mice with head & neck squamous cell carcinoma, glioblastoma and melanoma. Following this good preclinical results, we performed a first-in-human phase 1-2a study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the combination of DT01 with radiotherapy for the treatment of skin metastases of melanoma. Twenty-three patients were included. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. An objective response was observed in 59% lesions, including 30% complete responses. This first promising clinical efficacy provides future potential interesting clinical development of Dbait/DT01 with various anticancer treatments. PMID:26917468

The mechanisms underlying lung cancer radioresistance remain to be fully elucidated. The DNArepair pathway is a predominant target of radiotherapy, which is considered to be involved in the acquired radioresistance of cancer cells. The present study aimed to establish a radioresistant cell model using the A549 human lung cancer cell line, and to further investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the radioresistance. The A549R radioresistant lung cancer cell variant was established by exposing the parental A549 cells to repeated γ-ray irradiation at a total dose of 60 Gy. Colony formation assays were then used to determine cell survival following γ-ray exposure. The established radioresistant cells were subsequently treated with or without the NU7026 DNA-PKcs inhibitor. The levels of DNA damage were determined by counting the number of fluorescent γ-H2AX foci in the cells. The cellular capacity for DNArepair was assessed using antibodies for the detection of various DNArepair pathway proteins. The radioresistant sub-clones exhibited significantly decreased survival following NU7026 treatment, compared with the parental cells, as determined by colony formation assays (P<0.05), and this finding was found to be dose-dependent. Treatment with the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibitor significantly reduced γ-H2AX foci formation (P<0.05) following acute radiation exposure in the radioresistant sub-clones, compared with the parental control cells. The decreased levels of γ-H2AX were accompanied by an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells in the radioresistant cell line following post-radiation treatment with the DNA-PKcs inhibitor. The expression levels of proteins associated with the DNArepair pathway were altered markedly in the cells treated with NU7026. The results of the present study suggested that radioresistance may be associated with enhanced DNArepair following exposure to radiation, resulting in reduced apoptosis. Therefore, the

Background Histone modifications and DNA methylation are two major factors in epigenetic phenomenon. Unlike the histone deacetylase inhibitors, which are known to exert radiosensitizing effects, there have only been a few studies thus far concerning the role of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors as radiosensitizers. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of DNMT inhibitors on the radiosensitivity of human cancer cell lines, and to elucidate the mechanisms relevant to that process. Methods A549 (lung cancer) and U373MG (glioblastoma) cells were exposed to radiation with or without six DNMT inhibitors (5-azacytidine, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, zebularine, hydralazine, epigallocatechin gallate, and psammaplin A) for 18 hours prior to radiation, after which cell survival was evaluated via clonogenic assays. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed via flow cytometry. Expressions of DNMT1, 3A/3B, and cleaved caspase-3 were detected via Western blotting. Expression of γH2AX, a marker of radiation-induced DNA double-strand break, was examined by immunocytochemistry. Results Pretreatment with psammaplin A, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, and zebularine radiosensitized both A549 and U373MG cells. Pretreatment with psammaplin A increased the sub-G1 fraction of A549 cells, as compared to cells exposed to radiation alone. Prolongation of γH2AX expression was observed in the cells treated with DNMT inhibitors prior to radiation as compared with those treated by radiation alone. Conclusions Psammaplin A, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, and zebularine induce radiosensitivity in both A549 and U373MG cell lines, and suggest that this effect might be associated with the inhibition of DNArepair. PMID:22429326

Compounds of lead and cadmium have been shown to be carcinogenic to humans and experimental animals. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not understood. In mammalian cells in culture, lead(II) is weakly mutagenic after long incubation times and generates DNA strand breaks only after treatment with high, toxic doses. Cadmium(II) induces DNA strand breaks and chromosomal aberrations, but its mutagenic potential is rather weak. However, both metals exert pronounced indirect genotoxic effects. Lead(II) is comutagenic towards UV and N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and enhances the number of UV-induced sister chromatid exchanges in V79 Chinese hamster cells. With regard to DNArepair, lead(II) causes an accumulation of DNA strand breaks after UV-irradiation in HeLa cells, indicating an interference with the polymerization or ligation step in excision repair. Cadmium(II) enhances the mutagenicity of UV light in V79 Chinese hamster cells and an increased sensitivity toward UV light is observed in various rodent and human cell lines. Furthermore, an inhibition of unscheduled DNA synthesis after UV-irradiation and a partial inhibition of the removal of UV-induced DNA lesions has been shown. For both metals, the indirect genotoxic effects are observed at low, nontoxic concentrations, suggesting that an interference with DNArepair processes may be predominant at biologically relevant concentrations. This might also explain the conflicting results of epidemiological studies obtained for both metals. Possible mechanisms of repair inhibition are discussed. PMID:7843136

The Uncaria tomentosa water extracts (C-Med-100) have been shown to enhance DNArepair, mitogenic response and leukocyte recovery after chemotherapy-induced DNA damage in vivo. In this study, the effect of C-Med-100 supplement was evaluated in a human volunteer study. Twelve apparently healthy adults working in the same environment were randomly assigned into 3 groups with age and gender matched. One group was daily supplemented with a 250 mg tablet containing an aqueous extract of Uncaria tomentosa of C-Med-100, and another group with a 350 mg tablet, for 8 consecutive weeks. DNArepair after induction of DNA damage by a standard dose of hydrogen peroxide was measured 3 times before supplement and 3 times after the supplement for the last 3 weeks of the 8 week-supplement period. There were no drug-related toxic responses to C-Med-100 supplement when judged in terms of clinical symptoms, serum clinical chemistry, whole blood analysis and leukocyte differential counts. There was a statistically significant decrease of DNA damage and a concomitant increase of DNArepair in the supplement groups (250 and 350 mg/day) when compared with non-supplemented controls (p < 0.05). There was also an increased tendency of PHA induced lymphocyte proliferation in the treatment groups. Taken together, this trial has confirmed the earlier results obtained in the rat model when estimating DNArepair enhancement by C-Med-100. PMID:11515717

UvrD helicase is required for nucleotide excision repair, although its role in this process is not well defined. Here we show that Escherichia coli UvrD binds RNA polymerase during transcription elongation and, using its helicase/translocase activity, forces RNA polymerase to slide backward along DNA. By inducing backtracking, UvrD exposes DNA lesions shielded by blocked RNA polymerase, allowing nucleotide excision repair enzymes to gain access to sites of damage. Our results establish UvrD as a bona fide transcription elongation factor that contributes to genomic integrity by resolving conflicts between transcription and DNArepair complexes. Furthermore, we show that the elongation factor NusA cooperates with UvrD in coupling transcription to DNArepair by promoting backtracking and recruiting nucleotide excision repair enzymes to exposed lesions. Because backtracking is a shared feature of all cellular RNA polymerases, we propose that this mechanism enables RNA polymerases to function as global DNA damage scanners in bacteria and eukaryotes. PMID:24402227

The survival of microorganisms in ancient glacial ice and permafrost has been ascribed to their ability to persist in a dormant, metabolically inert state. An alternative possibility, supported by experimental data, is that microorganisms in frozen matrices are able to sustain a level of metabolic function that is sufficient for cellular repair and maintenance. To examine this experimentally, frozen populations of Psychrobacter arcticus 273-4 were exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) to simulate the damage incurred from natural background IR sources in the permafrost environment from over ∼225 kiloyears (ky). High-molecular-weight DNA was fragmented by exposure to 450 Gy of IR, which introduced an average of 16 double-strand breaks (DSBs) per chromosome. During incubation at −15°C for 505 days, P. arcticus repairedDNA DSBs in the absence of net growth. Based on the time frame for the assembly of genomic fragments by P. arcticus, the rate of DNA DSB repair was estimated at 7 to 10 DSBs year−1 under the conditions tested. Our results provide direct evidence for the repair of DNA lesions, extending the range of complex biochemical reactions known to occur in bacteria at frozen temperatures. Provided that sufficient energy and nutrient sources are available, a functional DNArepair mechanism would allow cells to maintain genome integrity and augment microbial survival in icy terrestrial or extraterrestrial environments. PMID:24077718

DNArepair mechanisms are fundamental for B cell development, which relies on the somatic diversification of the immunoglobulin genes by V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation, and class switch recombination. Their failure is postulated to promote genomic instability and malignant transformation in B cells. By performing targeted sequencing of 73 key DNArepair genes in 29 B cell lymphoma samples, somatic and germline mutations were identified in various DNArepair pathways, mainly in diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs). Mutations in mismatch repair genes (EXO1, MSH2, and MSH6) were associated with microsatellite instability, increased number of somatic insertions/deletions, and altered mutation signatures in tumors. Somatic mutations in nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) genes (DCLRE1C/ARTEMIS, PRKDC/DNA-PKcs, XRCC5/KU80, and XRCC6/KU70) were identified in four DLBCL tumors and cytogenetic analyses revealed that translocations involving the immunoglobulin-heavy chain locus occurred exclusively in NHEJ-mutated samples. The novel mutation targets, CHEK2 and PARP1, were further screened in expanded DLBCL cohorts, and somatic as well as novel and rare germline mutations were identified in 8 and 5% of analyzed tumors, respectively. By correlating defects in a subset of DNA damage response and repair genes with genomic instability events in tumors, we propose that these genes play a role in DLBCL lymphomagenesis. PMID:23960188

Following DNA damage cells initiate cell cycle checkpoints to allow time to repair sustained lesions. Rad9, Rad1, and Hus1 proteins form a toroidal complex, termed the 9-1-1 complex, that is involved in checkpoint signaling. 9-1-1 shares high structural similarity to the DNA replication protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and 9-1-1 has been shown in vitro to stimulate steps of the repair process known as lo